


With Eyes Sealed Shut

by FuneralCake



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, BAMF Uzumaki Naruto, F/M, Feels, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fix-It, Guilt, Kinda Characher Study, M/M, Self-Indulgent, Slow Burn, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, kinda slow burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuneralCake/pseuds/FuneralCake
Summary: They were fighting a losing war. Sasuke knew it. Naruto knew it too, even though it's something she would never admit.They were fighting a losing war and he doesn't want to see the world fall.He doesn't want to see her fail because of his mistakes.It takes two breaths, to bring his brother back to life, and send his hopes back into the past. He even manages to sneak something for himself im between. He sends them back because he doesn't want to face tomorrow by himself, doesn't want to pay the price for the sins he has committed.He puts his faith in them. On a walking corpse, a shadow of a man and a burnt out sun. He puts his faith in them and hopes for the best.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Itachi/Uzumaki Naruto, past Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto - Relationship
Comments: 85
Kudos: 1088





	1. Murmurs of Dawn

Itachi wakes up, memories of a burning world at the back of his mind. Of Sasuke, eyes bleeding as he brings Itachi back. As he uses the last of his chakra, twists it and turns, and sends them as far back as he can manage.

He blinks up to a wooden ceiling that his sharinggan eyes wouldn't let him forget. To a quiet house and darkness all around him. He is home. He is in Konoha, younger, healthier than he has been in a long time.

His breaths come deep and even, unhampered by the disease he had caught several years after leaving the village. His hands were clean, and the heartbeats he could hear in the house were proof of that.

Maybe not entirely clean. Not when he feels his eyes twist, and realizes where in the timeline he would probably be. A glance at where he knew his calendar was made him realize exactly where and when he is.

A day before the Uchiha massacre.

Fourteen year old Itachi was terrified of losing peace, of hurting Sasuke. He was so desperate to save his brother that he didn't question Danzo being the one to come to him with the mission. For all his genius, he was still a naive child and he payed for that naivety for the rest of his life.

He wasn't a fourteen year old child anymore. Hadn't been for a long time, and now he thinks of what could be done. Indeed his clansmen had been itching for the coup, but not everyone was guilty. None of the children of the clan were, at least, and if he cannot protect them then he might as well have failed in this chance his brother bought him.

Bought them. He has allies, this time, that he needs to find. To talk to. He needs to talk to the third, to question as politely as possible, Danzo's mission. He needs to plan for Obito, whom had already approached him to help at this point and would be easiest to capture at this point.

He decides to look for his allies first.

\-----------------

Naruto wakes up to a half rotted ceiling and a lumpy mattress. She has spent a good number of years in this apartment, even when it had been torn down during Pein's invasion, and is intimately familiar with the place.

He did it. The bastard sent them back.

She doesn't know if she wants to kill the idiot, or kiss him. Probably both, except he'd beat her to it, kissed her them killed himself like the moron he thinks her to be, in an effort to send them back to this world that didn't have him. Her bastard wasn't here anymore, and instead he asked them to look after a child that shared his name and his face. A child that was Sasuke, but wasn't her Sasuke. Would never be, if she had any say to it, and she has.

She thinks of her companions, who _he_ sent back with her, and hopes the genii of her team could point out any flaws to the beginnings of a plan forming in her head. Planning has never been her strength. She was a bit too optimistic at times, had a little too much faith in people, and she's glad she's been sent back with two genii with photographic memories. They'll be able to remember the details she cannot. Would be able to see things in ways she cannot. She spent most of her life winging it after all. They can be the ones doing the meticulous planning. When the time comes and their plans inevitably failed, and they always did, she would be ready to power through whatever life threw at their feet.

Her Sasuke sacrificed himself for this. For them. For a future they could build, and Naruto would fight every bit of the way so they don't waste the chance Sasuke gave them.

A flicker of chakra at her window is her only warning of a guest. She's already up, back to a corner, stance loose and ready when the identity of her visitor registers. She narrows suspicious eyes anyways, because it could be henge even when no one should know to take Uchiha Itachi's form to get to her.

"Hokage-sama," he addresses, bowing politely and only then does Naruto allow herself to relax. He wouldn't know to call her that, the Itachi of this time. Or anyone else of this time, for that matter.

She leads him into the meager kitchen of her apartment, making tea as she prepares herself for a long night of planning. She glances at her calendar, looks at where Sasuke had dropped them, and realizes when they are. She's seven years old, and they're back just in time to do something about the Uchiha massacre. They have a lot of work to to do, and so little time to do it.

She wanders when their last companion would arrive.

\-------------------

Kakashi wakes up to a wooden ceiling he hasn't seen in a while. Not since Pein's invasion which had really been the beginning of the end. His eye, Obito's eye, throbs in it's socket and makes something in him hurt. Obito is out there, mad with grief and hatred, seeking to bring about a war that would burn the world, in hopes of bringing Rin back.

Kakashi wants nothing more than to roll over. To let the world march on towards it's death. Hates that he has to be the one to keep fighting, when it should be his students here. Should be Sasuke in his place.

How many more of his comrades have to die, so they could keep holding up his weight? How many more failures does he need to suffer?

But, he hasn't exactly failed yet. At least not entirely. Sasuke is still alive, and while he isn't sure where in the timeline they had fallen to, he knows Itachi would fight to keep it that way. Naruto would fight to bring the world peace. They are counting on him. Minato-sensei is counting on him to protect Naruto. Rin is counting on him to save Obito. Obito is counting on him to save himself, even if he doesn't know it yet. And his students, they are counting on him to fight for them too.

He has to get up. So he does.

He dresses in his ANBU uniform and wonders how long till he gets his jounin uniform instead. He takes time to leave his dogs their food, because he isn't sure how long it would be before he can come back home, and takes to the rooftops to where he knows Naruto should be at this time.

He is surprised and relieved to see Itachi there too, dressed in similar ANBU uniform minus the mask. He joins them around the table, quiet even as he slumps into his seat across Itachi, pulling out an orange book while Naruto sits at the head of the table.

\------------

"Report," Naruto said before she could stop herself. She is too used to it by this point, having been Nanadaime for 5 years in a burning world. Kakashi had passed the hat as soon as he deemed her ready, neither used nor willing to be the one in authority. He had much preferred to be a knight, then being king in their war.

"I had woken up exactly seven minutes ago, hokage-sama. We are probably days before the Uchiha massacre. I am ANBU captain at this time. We will need to put together a complete timeline and memorize it under sharinggan to keep track of what needs to be done," Kakashi said with the ease of someone who has been reporting to her for years now.

"We are exactly a day before the massacre, Hokage-sama," Itachi said. "Tomorrow I am expected to meet Uchiha Obito under the guise of Madara, and kill every single member of the clan bar Sasuke. These orders were given by Danzo, without sandaime-sama's knowledge." 

Itachi reports to her with about as much ease as Kakashi, despite having never spent that much time as a shinobi under her command in the future. He had been reanimated when they met again, with her leading on the battlefield. He had spent more time accompanying Sasuke who was more of a vigilante working under the same goal then one of _her_ shinobi, for all that the bastard was hers. She wonders if he calls her that because he thinks she expects it, or out of genuine respect.

"Is there any way to stop them from a coup?" Naruto asked, because she has to try and find a way that wont end with the slaughter of an entire clan. If she can save a few more, if she can shield Sasuke then it would be worth it.

"Shisui attempted to convince them, using Kotoamatsukami. Their desire was so solid, so true, it did not work." Itachi reports, and Naruto's brows frown in worry. That means they couldn't just ignore Danzo's orders and hope for the best. They couldn't buy more time and try to negotiate for peace. They wouldn't need to go with it, to enact it exactly as before, but the Uchiha clan simply cannot be ignored.

"Do you think we should tell the Sandaime?" Naruto asked. It might be imperative, for them to get the freedom they would need to act the next few years.

"It would afford us a certain leeway and freedom with some actions," Kakashi admits. "We would need to severely limit who knows, probably include Inoichi and Shikaku simply because Inoichi can validate our claims, and Shikaku's insight is irreplaceable."

"What do you think, Itachi," Naruto asks and she sees surprise in his face. Perhaps he'd been expecting her to rely on Kakashi's judgement alone? To ignore him maybe, because he is an outsider? But how could she? Itachi was famed for his intellect as much as his skill. He was a resource she cannot afford to alienate just because they hadn't known each other before. Not if they're going to save the world together.

What more, this was Itachi. The man who gave up his entire life to protect Konoha. Who would only disobey orders to save Sasuke. If there are heroes in this world, then Itachi was one of those heroes and it's up to her to make sure he knows it. Men can be stupid with their guilt after all. Kakashi-sensei was a shining example of that.

Besides. Itachi looked lonely. If there was one thing Naruto was good at, it was making friends!

"It seems unavoidable anyways, hokage-sama. We would be suspicious, when we react differently to the world around us as is inevitable. We would also need help from people we are sure would be infallible." Itachi said after a pause, carefully considering his words.

"Very well."

\-------------

This was not how Hiruzen Sarutobi expected to spend his day. Not with recounts of a future to come from three different perspectives. Not with Inoichi gleaning horror and tragedy from their minds. Not with an impromptu war council with Shukaku, Inoichi, two children and Kakashi. He had not expected it, but it's what he ends up doing anyways.

"We have much more pressing matters." Naruto's voice, while not cold had a certain urgency to it that demanded attention. Calm and so full of authority, that he cannot shake of the image of Minato standing in her place.

"Indeed," Hiruzen agrees because they need to figure out what to do with Danzo and the Uchiha clan first.

"It would be the best time to detain Uchiha Obito. If we succeed now, we could potentially head off most of our future problems," Naruto said, and Hiruzen isn't blind to the softness in Shikaku and Inoichi's eyes when they look at her. There isn't a doubt in his mind that they are reminded of her father the way he has been moments ago.

"Do you think you could seal him, Hokage-sama?" It's a slip, the form of address. Hiruzen knows because Naruto glares at Kakashi who gives a sheepish closed eyed smile. Still it makes something in his chest unfurl. It makes the the burden of guilt and fear ease a little, because Naruto becoming hokage means their village could learn to forgive. Means his faith isn't misplaced. Besides, if there's anyone in the world he would entrust the future to, it would be Naruto.

"I could, if we have the time to set it up in the clan compound without anyone noticing," her eyes were glazed over, no doubt already planning how to best lay out said seals and Hiruzen almost chokes in nostalgia. He has seen that expression a million times, and it still never fails to surprise him how much like her father she has grown up to be.

Perhaps this Naruto, who is a kage and a warrior, who is wise beyond her years and a survivor of a war worse than any the world had seen, could carry her father's name. Would only flourish with the man's legacy. It is her right after all, and though he has denied it before, now he feels secure in the knowledge that it cannot be taken from her.

"And of the Uchiha-clan?" Itachi asked, and Hiruzen feels a pang of grief all over again. In another life, he had stood by as this child ruined his life and martyred himself in the name of peace. It was something he wouldn't be sure he could forgive himself for.

"Whom would you think are innocent, Itachi-kun?" Hiruzen asked because he would be the only one who knows. He would be the one with the right to decide whom to save from his clan.

"The children," Itachi said without hesitance, knowing he was condemning his parents but without the ability to do anything about it. Had he really let children be murdered in cold blood, once upon a time? If so he has so much to repent for.

"Could we maybe tie it all up?" Naruto asked, brows furrowed in thought. "I know we would need to eliminate the elders of the Uchiha-clan, but if we reveal them to the village as traitors, the children would grow up even more resentful when they are eventually exposed to the village's hatred."

"Naruto-chan do you really think.." he is cut off by the sharp glare sent his way, even more so when her eyes flash red and slitted before turning back to blue. 'Yes, they would,' those eyes say. Of anyone, she would know their fickle hatred most. Her and her sensei.

"Very well," Hiruzen said in acquiescence. "What do you have in mind?"

"Make it seem like Danzo attacked them. Hide Itachi's involvement past him acting to save the children. Make it so Danzo attacked because he percieved the powerful clan to be a threat. The Uchiha children would feel avenged, the people would not hate and we would be able to take care of Danzo and the rebellion in one go." She proposed. There is a grimace of distaste in her face at the plan, likely from how underhanded and manipulative the entire maneouver was.

Naruto had grown up, after all. She was no longer the naive child who saw ninjas in the same light as she did before. She understands now, making the tough decisions for the better of her people and of her village. If he had doubts before, he hadn't now. Naruto would make a fine Kage some day, he is sure of it.

He sees the bitter sort of pride in Kakashi's eyes as he mulls her plan over, and feels like he has come to the same conclusion Hiruzen himself has. His student is all grown up, it would seem.

"That would probably work," Kakashi admits, putting a hand on Naruto's head. "Well done, hokage-sama."

"Thanks sensei," she said and the two exchange bitter smiles.

"I would probably be our best bet at assassinating the clan," Itachi speaks up and Naruto eyes him worriedly.

"Are you sure about that, Itachi-kun?" Naruto asked, still frowning.

"I know what to do," the teen admits with a grim smile that breaks Hiruzen's heart all over again. Of course he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got devoured by the gods of time travel, and spat back out with this. I've ended up writing down a lot of my ideas of how things could have gone better.
> 
> Now before any of you claim that Naruto is being OOC, well, I genuinely think anyone would be after going through war. Personalities are fluid, after all and I feel like any character changes I've made are within the realm of possibility. It's why Naruto here, despite being a bit more mature and a tad jaded, still manages to smile and keep hoping.


	2. First Steps

Kakashi watched Obito, snarling with hatred as he tried to get out of the seals that bound him. He knows those seals however, has seen them hold down Uchiha Madara in another day and age. He wouldn't be able to access any chakra at all. Wouldn't be able to move without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Naruto had mixed chakra suppresant and gravity seals once upon a time to create and ultimate incapacitating seal. It had required a room wide array but it was definitely effective. They had set it up in the room where Itachi knew Obito would appear to meet him, and he had fallen into their trap with an ease that was almost anticlimatic.

Now all that's left is to get rid of the cursed seal in Obito's heart.

They would need Tsunade for that though. Would need her to stabilize Obito and keep him alive as Naruto unravels the seal, but it would be a while before the sandaime allows them to leave the village in search of the Slug sannin. For now their best bet is to seal Obito himself away, or at least put him in a seal induced coma until they return with the last Senju. And possibly take care of what they could of the Akatsuki along the way.

Incapacitated like this, Obito really wasn't a pressing threat anymore, and Kakashi could breathe a little easier. There is still the nagging voice at the back of his head telling him to fix this though. To make things right because the Uchiha in front of him was so so wrong.

But that was for later. For now, they have a village that's recovering from the loss of all but 13 Uchiha children, two of which were toddlers barely even capable of walking.

He wondered what Danzo was thinking in another lifetime, destroying the clan in it's entirety but he wouldn't want to ponder the thoughts of madmen. He looks back to Obito, and his crazed ramblings of a fake world and Rin, and decides that he really is better off not understanding.

All he knows is they succeeded. They culled a rebellion, killed Danzo, recovered Shisui's stollen eye. They had secured the village without sacrificing all of the Uchiha clan. They had done what they can of a bad situation and while he disliked the slaughter, he has done worse in the name of his village.

Itachi, the clan head now. He had decided to let other clans foster the children in a show of faith while they plan to rebuild the Uchiha compound. The yound prodigy said that it wouldn't do to have the children return home to ghosts one day. And they will return one day, standing proud and tall as the last of the Uchiha. They will rebuild, they will be prosperous again, and they would happier, later on, when they aren't bearing the hatred their elders did.

Sasuke is still morose, utterly terrified of waking up one day and losing what little family he has left, but it's still leagues better than how he was before. Now all he wants to do is be stronger, so he can protect what little of his clan is left.

He isn't the Sasuke he has taught a lifetime ago, bitter and jaded and utterly consumed by his revenge. Kakashi thinks that it's better of thus way.

They haven't been here for more than two days, and already everything is looking to be for the better.

\------------

"I graduated genin." It has been two months since the Uchiha massacre. They knew Naruto had simply been waiting for the nearest genin exam. She spent the last two months pushing to the top of the class so she could be be bumped up enough classes to qualify for the graduating exam. It was more of a given now, that she would graduate gennin with ease. It had been expected. Planned even, but Kakashi still feels proud.

He still ruffles her hair and treats her to a bowl of ramen even when they know what's going to happen after. They had planned for this with the sandaime after all. It doesn't stop him from tucking her in bed in the guest bedroom of his appartment later that night, and telling her "I'm proud of you," before she falls asleep.

They know he isn't talking about the graduation, anyways. And he has an entire lifetime of grief imposed distance to make up for.

Her answering smile washes over him like forgiveness, even when he feels like he doesn't deserve it.

\---------

"Dismissed," Hiruzen nods at the two of them, signing away the papers that makes their five year training trip official. It's unorthodox, of course, and had Danzo been here he probably would have had a harder time getting it through, but as it stands he is Kage and no one can do anything about it. He wonders now, how much he had let Danzo get away with, a lifetime ago. He thinks back to those days and finds that he cannot swallow the guilt his inaction has caused even now.

Still, he has time to make things right. In the next five years, with the help of Itachi he'd be cleaning house. He'd be combing the village for Danzo's bases, rehabilitating as much of Root as he can and reintegrating then into Konoha's ANBU forces.

They will be working on village defenses, reinforcing the barrier seals before screening his shinobi forces. They would need to root out the spies that had infiltrated his village, and he isn't about to discount the fact that there are spies, because his own teammate had an army invading his own special forces without him knowing it. He doesn't know what other nasty surprises had slipped by him at this point. 

While they're cleaning house, Naruto will officially be listed as Kakashi's apprentice. They will be travelling under the guise of an extended training trip while they gather information, get rid of as much of the Akatsuki as they can, and locate Tsunade. They are to head home as soon as they locate Tsunade of course, to see what can be done with one Uchiha Obito whose trussed up like a turkey and sealed tighter than a bijuu in the bowels of ANBU, but will be leaving again to continue their training trip after.

Days later, he watches them leave on his crystal ball. He watches Itachi nodding at the pair by the gates as they pass him, only to be hugged by Naruto and given a head pat by Kakashi. The recent months had been good for the withrawn boy, having finally been freed from the pressures of clan and village. He is free to shower his brother with affection, and care for his cousins. He even makes a point to visit each of the remaining Uchiha children at least once weekly.

Itachi would make a good clan head. Just like Kakashi would make a good adviser one day, and Naruto an amazing Hokage. He has faith in these three, to keep upholding the will of fire.

For all the headaches their arrival has caused him, he really can't wait for what the future has in store for them now.

\------------

They actually did train.

Admittedly a huge part of it was physical training. It was a huge struggle, getting back to their previous strength levels and they had to reach their peak strength as soon as physically possible. Not that they'd be stopping there of course. Kakashi has every intention of surpassing his alternate self and he was sure Naruto was in firm agreement.

When they managed to retrain Naruto's skills with chakra control and elemental manipulation enough, Kakashi began what he really should have done in their past lifetime. Imparting as much of his famed 1000 jutsu to the only person with the chakra capacity to fully utilize them.

If anyone had the skill to be a ninjutsu powerhouse, it was Naruto who was blessed with dense Uzumaki chakra and the stores of a jinchuuriki. They really did her a disservice, in the other life. They had waited until she had gotten too used to fighting like a brawler before even attempting to teach her Jutsu. And even then, they simply augmented the one jutsu she had, even though she had the chakra capacity to cast jutsu the way other people threw kunai.

True to expectation, she flourishes under the focus and dedication Kakashi gives her this time. She may have been Kage level in their past life, but that had mostly been due to senjutsu and the tailed beast chakra. Cheats, really, but this time Kakashi wants her to be S rank without them. He wants to see her become an S-rank shinobi of her own skill and merit, because he knows she can.

While they trained, they continued wandering through the countries. They had decided early on that their primary objective was locating Tsunade. Obito may have been secured threat-wise, but he was still Kakashi's teammate and it doesn't sit well with either of them to simply abandon him in favor of hunting. Because of that, their wanderings methodically take them through the most well known gambling dens in the land of Fire and the more neutral villages.

Tsunade might have ran from Konoha but she is well known enough that she wouldn't risk going to Kumo, Iwa or Kiri. Maybe not even Suna though the more neutral villages in the land of wind is certainly free game.

It's exactly in the land of wind, in a small village built around an oasis that they finally manage to catch her. There isn't much to do for civillians in a desert after all, and not much in the way of trade, so instead they fashioned themselves into a city of vice and luxury to bring in guests and money. Apparently it worked.

It takes a bet, a small skirmish, a lot of motivation and a story of a bleak future before Tsunade agrees to come back with them. She still wouldn't take the hat, but she has every intention of bringing Konoha's hospital up to standard, and training the village's medic nin herself. It was something Naruto looks forward to.

In another life, Tsunade was so swamped with paperwork that she only manages to impart her knowledge on Sakura. Now with a bit more freetime, they hope they'd have several generations of better field medics to look forward to.

\---------------------

They return to the village and head straight into surgery after reporting to the Hokage. Naruto, who had already taken a sketch of the seal, had spent her free time designing a counter seal to strip it off of Obito as soon as she could.

With the help of Tsunade they got to work on the comatose patient, unsealing him and healing what they could of the damage Madara had caused. While the plant matter may have taken, it doesn't mean that Madara was a good enough medic to basically implant half a body. Obito had been functioning on slap-dash vessel that really shouldn't have been running if not for the magic of her Mokuton and her grandfather's cells.

It took Naruto an hour to unravel the cursed seal, and 12 hours of extensive surgery afterwards for Tsunade to deem him as safe and as healthy as he could possibly be with half a body made of plant matter and flesh. Afterwards, they're patient is deposited on a hospital bed with her gravity-chakra suppressant sea. He would be staying in that bed for a while as he recovered.

With that done, all that's left is for them to discuss what they'll be doing about Obito Uchiha and how to go about the rest of their goals in the near future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how clear it was with the last story, but this is very much a self indulgent fic. And something of a character study for me. I just wanted to focus on them as people.
> 
> That said, next chapter features a glimpse into Obito who doesn't magically get fixed but will try. There's about to be angst.
> 
> Alsooo, I've actually finished writing this. It's the first ever fic I finished, and i kind of breezed through this thing in two days because the inspiration kinda hit me and never left.
> 
> It still probably needs a lot of editing but to the people who enjoyed it, rest assured that this _**will**_ be finished.
> 
> So yeah! Thank you so much for the support. Enjoy!


	3. A Running Start

Obito Uchiha wakes in a world that isn't as sharply focused as he is used to.

He hasn't looked at the world without his sharinggan in a long while. Hasn't breathed fresh air and listened to distant laughter without choking on burning hatred so thick it tainted his every waking thought.

The hatred isn't gone. It's still there of course, still a thick roiling miasma in his gut, except this time it's interspersed with a plethora of other emotions he hadn't had in a while.

He had forgotten what it felt like, to be anything other than angry. So much so that it takes a while for him to put names to every emotion he feels. 

He had forgotten how frustration felt. He had forgotten the burden of grief and guilt. He had forgotten what it felt like to be hurting. And he was hurting. It felt so thick, so cloying, like blood stained honey weighing him down and choking his very soul. He had forgotten all of this, lost them behind a stream of anger that poured over him like never ending rainfall, muting everything else out.

It had been so easy, to be angry. He isn't sure if he wants this alternative.

_Except..._

_Rin would probably disagree,_ he realizes. He hasn't thought of what Rin would think in a long while. Had convinced himself it didn't matter because that Rin was fake. _Because that Rin was dead._ The thought made him nauseous now. It felt like cave dust on his skin and iron at the back of his throat.

_Rin wouldn't like the Obito he is now. Wouldn't like anything he had done in a long time._

_Rin would probably hate him._

It's that thought, that finally wakes him. That let's him ignore the anger and grief and so much pain. It drags him kicking and screaming into sobriety, pushing aside all his clouded feelings and forcibly making him take into account exactly what he had been doing.

_Rin would definitely hate him. She should. Obito hates himself too._

"You're awake." He hasn't even sensed anyone. He's apparently so out of it that he has barely even registered where he is. Because he isn't in the cave. Isn't in Ame either.

It takes a while for him to place exactly where he could be. It's been a long time since he's been here as anything other than a murder and a thief in the night.

But the memories are still there, and he knows without a doubt that he is in Konoha. Knows it by the warm sun peaking through the curtains at his side. By the distant sound of soft footsteps and children's laughter out his window. By the smell of trees and and fresh air wafting in. By the faint scent of cleaning products and mild antiseptic. He's in Konoha, in the hospital to be precise.

He barely remembers how he got here. He distantly remembers being trapped in a seal and unable to even access Kamui. He had thought he would be killed for sure. Apparently they had other plans. 

He looks at the speaker, intent on asking questions and instead chokes because of all the people to see when he wakes up, she isn't who he's expecting. And wasn't that a surprise? He didn't even know Minato-sensei's child was a girl when... when...

He feels like throwing up all over again, remembering what happened the last time he saw the girl. The last time he saw Kushina, and Minato-sensei. _She grew up an orphan, because of him._

She looks exactly like how he expects a daughter of theirs would look. With sensei's blonde hair, though long and pin straight like Kushina's had been, with Uzumaki pale skin and Minato's crystal blue eyes set in Kushina's face. A long time ago, he had resented growing up alone, and lonely, and _he had brought the exact same fate on this child._

It's worse, because Minato and Kushina had been nothing but supportive, guiding and helping when no one else would. Worse because they were as close to guardians as he could have had. Closer than a clan that shared his blood. And he had discarded them just because he was so fucking angry.

_Why had he been so angry?_

If it was grief, yes he would have understood it. He was no stranger to grief. Had always been a cry baby. And he would have gotten angry at Kakashi, and he still is because Kakashi killed Rin and that was something they needed to talk about, but he was never one to bear grudges. He was the failure of an Uchiha who cried too quickly and laughed too loudly. Who let things go despite their clan's legendary grudges. So why had he been so so angry?

"We removed a cursed seal on your heart," the girl, sensei's daughter tells him, and he wonders how old she is now because apparently she's already working with seals. And, did she say cursed seal? On him? "Are you feeling better now, Obito-san? Less erratic maybe?"

He looks at her uncomprehending, thinking of only one person who could have opened him up and plastered a seal into his heart. He thinks back to that day, where he was allowed to return home, on _that_ exact day, only to come to _that_ exact scene. He thinks of his hatred, encouraged, nurtured even, before it had been honed to such a degree. Of obssessing so fiercely that the days blot together and he is left with nothing but a desire to see the world burn and rebuild it into a world he remembers.

It paints a nasty picture. Because he's old enough now, jaded enough to understand. He's been used. He's been taken advantage of, twisted and turned like some weak willed puppet, _because he was_ , and has been made into a pawn for someone else's plans.

_Rin would hate him. Kakashi would hate him too._

The door opens, and he feels his heart, _he hasn't felt it in a while. Has been cold and so angry that he hasn't felt like this in a while,_ leap up to his throat. His lone eye meets an equally dark one, closed off and impassive and everything tells him to flee.

Only then that he realizes his chakra is bound. He's unable to get up, a strange weight pulling all of his bones down. It's all he could do to shift positions but he's sure he wouldn't be able to get up if he wanted to.

Did Minato-sensei's daughter do this too? Sensei would have been proud of her. _He would have been here to teach her if not for Obito._

"He's awake, Kakashi-sensei," she speaks and Obito feels himself tearing up. She's Kakashi's student. How fitting. She looks so young too. _Did she graduate early? Was she a genius like her father? What was his teammate teaching her? Was she a stickler for rules too?_

"It wouldn't make sense for me to flee now, and talk to a memorial stone wouldn't it?" Kakashi's voice sounds distant. Like he's seen a ghost which makes sense. Obito recalls struggling in that cell, or house, or something, somewhere while Kakashi was watching. He isn't sure if it's real at this point. _Isn't sure what's real anymore._

_He wonders who Kakashi talks to in the Memorial Stone._

"You know what? This isn't healthy," Naruto who had been sitting by his bedside all this time jumps up to her feet and walks towards Kakashi. "I'll do it. I'll do the explaining and the recapping. You aren't to listen to any of it. You're not coming back here until I call for you!"

"Maa, I'm a fully functional adult now, Naruto-chan," Kakashi drawls in a lazy manner that makes Obito blink. _Maybe this is still a part of his rage induced fever dream? Maybe he_ had _succeeded._ The Kakashi he remembers is about as emotive as a brick wall.

"I'm still not sure about the fully functional part sensei," the girl, Naruto, said with an exasperated expression Obito has seen a million times on Minato-sensei when his teams starts fighting. It feels like a suckerpunch to the gut. 

"Still, off you go. No need to have you going through flash backs. Either of you," she glances back at Obito when she says this and he fights the urge to duck his head like a child being scolded. She looks like she's seven or eight at this point but it does nothing to disguise Minato's scolding expression on her young face. 

"Go on. Hokage's orders," and that confuses him because he's sure the Sandaime isn't anywhere nearby. Nonetheless, he sees Kakashi grumble before turning around and leaving anyways. "And don't you dare come back until at least an hour later!" 

"Now, Obito-san, how are you feeling?" She asked when she finally settled back into her seat by his bedside, setting aside the stack of papers she had on her lap before. They looked like advanced seal schematics and can't help thinking of how much their sensei would have adored her. 

_He stole that from her._

"Obito-san?" she calls his attention again, even as she presses ice chips into his mouth. Only now does he realize how parched his throat is. He managed a grateful hum, closing his eyes as he tries to orient his thoughts. 

It's a mess in his head. _An endless flash of photographically preserved memories of horrors and atrocities he had committed in the name of anger._ He opens his eyes and tries to think about anything else instead. 

"You mentioned a cursed seal?" He rasps, voice scratchy and unused. Just how long was he out? 

"Yes. From what I've managed to glean from the seal array, it had two jobs. To amplify any anger you felt, and then, in your anger, it serves to make you more susceptible to whatever the person who put it on you says," she explains and it makes him swallow. "On it's own, while it would have made you a bit more gullible, it wouldn't have influenced you that much unless you had reason for anger in the first place." 

"He set it up, didn't he? Rin.." The name tastes like ash in his mouth. It reeks of blood and ozone and salty tears that could have come from any of them in that battle ground. 

"Rin was kidnapped and made into a partial jinchuriki by Kiri nin, with a faulty seal that was designed to break the moment she entered konoha," Naruto explains and the heaviness in his gut drops even worse like it had changed from iron to lead. "What they didn't count on was her putting the village before herself. Kakashi-sensei came after her to save her, was about to charge a raikiri into an enemy nin, when Rin herself intercepted the strike." 

There is a roaring in his ears, as he looks at the scene from his memories again. Only now does he try to remember Kakashi's face. The horror in his eyes and the tears tracking down his cheeks. 

"It was cruel of her," Naruto mutters and Obito's neck aches from how quickly he turns to glare at her. She glares right back, puffing up just like Kushina and it aches all over again. "It was cruel of her. She could have taken a kunai. Could have killed herself. She didn't need to use Sensei to do it." 

There is a protective viciousness to it, that makes him wonder how much killing Rin could have fucked up Kakashi. Obito just saw Rin die. Kakashi bore the guilt of doing it even when he didn't want to. He understands where she's coming from even when he isn't in any state of mind to agree to it yet. 

"Some ninja still call him Friend Killer Kakashi for it," she admits in a low and angry whisper and he realizes that he isn't the only one who came to the conclusion he did when he saw it. "He doesn't deserve it. Not when he chose to live the rest of his life by your words. Did you know that?" She smiles sadly at the confusion on his face, and shakes her head ruefully. 

"On my first day as his student, sensei took me to the memorial stone," she admits and Obito wonders when that was because she looks so young despite how old her eyes are. "He told me his best friend was on that stone. That Uchiha Obito gave his life for him, and taught him something I should remember and do my best to live by. That in the shinobi world, those who failed their missions are trash, but those who abandoned their teammates were worse than trash." 

This time Obito knows exactly where the tears are coming from. He feels the warm trails they take down his cheek. He realizes she is right, and it makes him want to sob. Kakashi didn't deserve any of it. 

_\-----------_

"What do you think of him, Naruto-chan?" Hiruzen asked. He had finally cleared through his paperwork, enough to be able to visit one Uchiha Obito, who from the looks of it was still asleep. 

Kakashi reported that he had waken up earlier though. Along with complaints of how Naruto kicked him out of the room to talk to Obito himself. He felt equal parts amused and proud at the young girl, apparently thoughtful enough to spare the two of the trauma having to talk to each other early on and having to relive their past to clear things up, would bring. 

Said jounin was sitting on the couch at the far end of the room, with perfect view of Obito, the bed side chair he guesses Naruto occupied considering the heap of papes on it, and the door. He as sitting in a loose manner that falsely exhibited lazy complacency as he read one of Jiraiya's infamous books like he isn't listening in on their conversation. 

"He'll be fine," is all Naruto says, though she turns around to look at the sleeping nin's prone form. "It would be a while, but he'll be fine." 

"I see. And what do you propose we do with him while you and Kakashi return on your training trips, Naruto-chan?" He asks and he feels a thrill with being able to delegate and trust the little girl to make decisions and come up with solutions. Only seven(teen) and Hiruzen knows she already understands people better. For all that Hiruzen is a good shinobi and a great leader during war time, he is the first to admit that he isn't the best when decisions revolved more around the emotional aspects of shinobi life. 

"I think, it would be best to bring him along to our training trips," Naruto said after a bit of thinking. It makes Kakashi straighten up, giving up all pretenses of him not listening in on their conversation. "If there's anyone we could trust to help him it would be sensei and me. This would be good for the both of them. I could keep chakra suppressants on him for a while, and only remove it when we're sure of how stable he is." 

"Very well, Naruto-chan. I'll trust your judgement on this one," Hiruzen nods. He is hopeful. If they do manage to get the other Uchiha back on their side, he would be another powerful ally in their fight for the future. And another person who could help protect Naruto. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually happy with this one. Again this is a very self indulgent fic and I really wanted to just, characterize. I don't know if Obito's hatred was actually seal induced, but point still stands that Madara cultivated his hatred. Madara made sure he would remain loyal to their cause by taking advantage of Obito emotionally. But I didn't want the cursed seal to be a fix all?
> 
> I wanted it to just, make his anger more apparent than everything else. And now his waking up in the aftermath, like a kid who had worn himself out after a tantrum only to realize he might have fucked up.


	4. A Blind Leap

It takes Kakashi a day, to take in the fact that Obito is here. That he's alive and breathing, safe within Konoha walls. For all of his protests, he's entirely glad Naruto kicked him out of the room when she did. That she saved him the trauma and took over the explanations because he wouldn't know what he'd do faced with Obito's the accusations.

Because a part of him believes it.

A part of him hears the whispers. Hears the names and _believes._ A part of him drowns in guilt and knows he won't deny being called Friend-Killer. Because he did. He killed Rin. He still feels the scratch of her broken rib cage, still hears her shrieks. He can still smell burnt flesh. He can see her limbs lock and spasm as electricity runs through her veins in a cruel mockery of what blood should be.

He will never forget it.

Still, he is glad he doesn't have to see Obito until much later, when he is asleep with tear tracks down his cheeks and a weariness across his brow. When Naruto is sitting by him, sombre and quiet.

He doesn't even remember to bring them food. It's Itachi who has the forethought to come in an hour later, presumably after Sasuke has fallen asleep, to bring the two of them dinner. He knows them well enough now, to know they'd forget something as basic as eating. Especially now when caught up in the impossible drama that was their life.

When the Hokage came hours later, after the Uchiha had left, he fights the urge to protest when Naruto decides on what to do. It takes every bit of his training to sit there, to accept what's going on because he himself understands that this would be the best course of action for Obito and it's the very least he could do.

Come morning, he has settled enough on the here and now. On what is to be. He understands what's going to happen and has moved past the initial stage of panic to start thinking about what to do next. They have more than four years on the road ahead of them after all, and it seems like he'd be spending that time with Obito by his side.

It's every bit a dream come true as much as it's his worst nightmare, come to life. Naruto might tell him he's being dramatic but he finds that he's entitled to being a little hysterical every now and then.

\-----------

Naruto checks the scroll in her hands again, reading Itachi's detailed reports of where he remembers the other Akatsuki members to be during this time. She's spent the last 15 minutes fiddling with the scroll, debating on wether to seal it into her packs of have Kakashi read it and burn the scroll entirely.

Their easiest targets was probably Hidan who was still in Waterfall at this time, leaving a trail of corpses in the name of his religion. He wouldn't be partnered with anyone yet, and wouldn't have the protection of a major village.

Deidara was still a part of Iwa at this point, young and years away from perusing his destructive Art. If the Akatsuki were dismantled by that time, he would have no reason to hunt bijuu by himself and they're content to let the blonde be.

Orochimaru was still a part of Akatsuki at this point, and was someone Naruto would rather detain than kill. She isn't sure if the snake sage is redeemable. Most likely not at this point, but the knowledge he would have was still immeasurable and cleaning up his bases was probably another operation in and of itself.

Then there's the other members of Akatsuki. Most of them Naruto wouldn't hesitate to put down. A bulk of Akatsuki's members were drawn to murder for the sake of murder. Psychopaths with barely any regard for personal safety, much less the safety of others. Some of them however, she finds herself hesitating.

Kisame was loyalty to the bone. He was someone who fought for what he believed in, assuming you got his loyalty in the first place. Nagato and Konan were another group she would like to talk to at least. She had gotten to them at some point, had made Nagato believe in her in a time before. She knows he could do it again.

"Who are you." Naruto startles at the voice, cursing herself for how at ease she is in Itachi's apartment. That and for how instinctive it is to let this particular chakra close that she hadn't noticed.

She turns to look at the boy who had just opened the door, and sees that he's just that. A boy. There's a mullish expression on his face, wariness on his eyes as he frowns at her. He's adorable, she decides even as she smiles at the child who was physically her age but much much younger.

This wasn't the Sasuke she had left behind. Her Sasuke who is cold and detached to everyone else in the world. Who waited until his very last breath to kiss her. Who she spent every waking moment chasing, fighting to keep up and be his equal.

She had surpassed him, near the end. Had surprised him with her strength and he had surprised her with his heart.

That Sasuke died to save their world. She would mourn him, would remember him and what could have been in a better life, but she would not look for that Sasuke in this child before her. This innocent child who doesn't know her and the war she fought and the people she saved.

This will not be her Sasuke. This Sasuke she will protect and cherish and allow to grow into someone who isn't haunted by shadows. This Sasuke would never utter the words revenge, would never dream of death and hatred.

She swears it now.

"Sasuke, you're home," Itachi speaks up. He'd been collecting several scrolls to add to the ones he had given her when Sasuke arrived and was only now stepping into the living room. "This is Namikaze Naruto-chan. She's a gennin."

She blushes at the introduction, still unused to the name though she wants nothing more than to carry her father's legacy. "It's nice to meet you," she greets the child who peers at her with less suspicion and more curiosity.

"How old are you?" He asked, eyes glaring with something akin to jealousy before he looks between her and Itachi in suspicion.

"I'm seven," she tells him.

"Nii-san was already chunnin at seven," he said proudly and it makes her smile. She forgot that younger Sasuke had such a huge brother complex.

"Sasuke!" Itachi scolds, though he immediately softens at the puppy eyes the boy sends him. It makes Naruto giggle even more.

"Well, you're nii-san is an amazing ninja," Naruto said pacifyingly. "I hope to be as great as he is one day."

"You honor me, Namikaza-sama," Itachi said with a demure smile that just makes her huff with equal parts amusement and embarrassment even as he drops the scrolls he's carrying into her arms.

"I best get going, Itachi. Sensei and Obito are waiting for me at the gates," she said as she begins sealing the scrolls into a storage scrolls that she puts away in her bag. "Take good care of Konoha while we're gone okay?"

"Of course, Namikaze-sama," he said with a bow and Naruto hears the "Hokage-sama" that he wants to say instead. It's still amazing, even after all this time, the feeling of being acknowledged and trusted to lead. It's still a feeling she cherishes and she smiles brightly at Itachi for it, before turning to Sasuke who was still looking at them with something akin to confusion.

"And you, Sasuke-kun, take care of your brother for me mkay? Don't let him overwork himself," she tells the kid who puffs up and nods. "I'll see you both in a few years."

\-------------

Obito was still getting used to feeling chakra again. He was still getting used to having companions. To being called by his name and seen past the mask.

He's still getting used to this new Kakashi, whose lazy, late for everything and takes every opportunity to be an asshole because he finds other people's frustration fun. He's getting used to Naruto whose age hides a strength and intelligence he had seen in Kakashi before but with Kushina's fire and Minato-sensei's compassion.

What confuses him is how deferential Kakashi could be to Naruto sometimes. For all that she's the gennin and he's the jounin sensei, he often ends up going with what she decides. Not that Naruto makes bad decisions but that's another thing. The girl makes well thought out decisions when they're planning, enough so that he doesn't feel the need to speak up when Kakashi always goes with whatever his student plans.

It's still a very weird dynamic though.

And don't get him started on the jutsu. Had Naruto been anyone else Obito would seriously question the wisdom of teaching a-rank jutsu to a child. Kakashi either trusts her so much, doesn't understand the concept of age restrictions or is stupid. Probably all of the above.

Naruto is a magnificent student though. For all that she's loud and bright and sunny like Kushina is, she has their sensei's grasp of jutsu. She claims that it hasn't always been easy for her, apparently much of her earlier years had been spent being sabotaged by people supposed to teach her, but Kakashi has apparently gone through everything with her. Had sat her down for the basics and taught her as much as he could and now she's absorbing lessons like a sponge because of it.

Obito still feels guilt, at the thought of the little girl being ostracized in her father's village. They hate her for being a jinchuriki, for killing the yondaime. They hate her for things she has no control. For things that are entirely Obito's fault.

Their village isn't fair. But it has never been, has it?

He remembers being younger. Remembers how the village spat on Hatake Sakumo. How they spurned the Snake Sage. How they distrusted Kakashi. How they ostracized the Uchiha. He remembers how fickle Konoha could be. How cruel to it's heroes and a part of him _hates._

He had asked the girl once, why she didn't hate the village when she has every right to. She simply smiled sadly at him, and said "Obito-san, there is enough hatred in the world without me adding to it. All I can do is be better and surpass what they expect of me. All I can do is prove I'm more than the monster they think me to be. Some day they will recognize me, some day I will be hokage, and until then I will bear the burden of their hatred and use it to push me forward."

Sometimes he envies the child, who could let go of her hatred so easily. Obito had been bred to hate, it would seem. And while he had ignored it, when he was younger, he had literally been forced to hate for most of his life. It comes easy to him now, this hatred, and while it doesn't take root in his heart and fester like it did before it is still there. It's still just as easy as breathing to resent. To hate.

She told him that was normal too. That it's okay to hate, so long as we don't hold on to it. It's okay to hate as easily as breathing, so long as we let it go with the self same ease that we found it.

Naruto is too good for this world.

He decides he'll protect her, there and then. It's the least he could do after all. He would follow this little girl to hell and back, not because he has to but because he wants to. Not just because he owes it to her parents that he stole from her. Not just because he owes it to her sensei, that he broke in a thousand different ways. Not because she saved him from Madara and himself, and pulled him away from the future he's about to destroy.

He will protect her because she is kindness and hope and all the things their world can't afford to lose.

\------------

They spent five years away from Konoha. Five years of rigorous physical conditioning till they're left on the floor, unable to do so much as lift a finger. Of ruthlessly hammering knowledge and wisdom into Naruto when their bodies are recuperating. Of imparting what he remembers of Kushina and Minato's fighting style kata after kata till she's taken it to heart and incorporated them into her own unique fighting style. Of working through Kakashi's jutsu arsenal and mastering what she can learn till she could perform them without having to think about it. 

He even gifts her with what of the Hiraishin seal he could remember. The one that takes four people to work with, for her to puzzle over.

He will make Naruto as powerful as he can manage, put all his chips in her favor because he realizes that his student has the potential to be something greater than she has ever been. Something amazing. And she takes to the teachings like a duck to water. Like there is no other path for her than this.

They spent their first two years focused entirely on training. They make an effort to keep track of the Akatsuki but they mostly spend it working. They even travel to Uzushio, to raid the ruins of the libraries it had that were sealed away from anyone who wasn't of Uzumaki descent.

It wasn't till he thinks she'd surpassed her past levels, that they started going after the Akatsuki. The first time they stumbled upon an S-rank missing nin Obito had been horrified. He had done everything he could to protect them and had panicked a little after. It was to be expected. He most likely wasn't in the peak of stability and the idea of a child facing someone as monstrous as Hidan probably sent every protective instinct he had into over drive.

Kakashi found the entire thing hilarious if a little endearing. It was reassuring to see how he's invested he's become of Naruto.

Then the pattern kept repeating and after a while, the horror had subsided, replaced by exasperation when he realized that perhaps they'd been hunting on purpose. He goes with it, fights with them, side by side and after a while Kakashi allows himself to relax.

It took him 3 years before he realizes that they had Obito back.

By the time that their training trip had come to an end, all that's left was Konan, Nagato and Orochimaru. Even Zetsu had been caught when he came sniffing around when Obito failed to report after a time. It was easy enough for him to be pulled into the Kamui dimension, separated into two entities and for black zetsu to be sealed away and white zetsu to be destroyed.

When they came home to Konoha, the world seemed brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, people should know that this thing's actually been finished. I kind of, breezed through it and ended up writing everything in a span of 3 days.
> 
> This was a trial run for me, if I could handle a timetravel fic and where to bring it before I write something more detailed. Thus why it's kind of rushed in some places and more focused on timeline and characters than interactions. That said, I've started another timetravel fic!
> 
> This one, [ But Twice As Bright ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24211201), focuses more on the people than this fic did. It's better than this one, I think and I'd like you guys to check it out if it interests you.
> 
> Thank you!


	5. Steady Ground

"Welcome home, Namikaze-sama." Naruto watches Izumo and Kotetsu choke from the corner of her eyes while filling in the paperwork at the village gates. She watches nearby civillians gape, looking for who exactly Itachi was addressing before paling when they realize it was her.

There is a pang in her heart, when she remembers a lifetime ago when the village welcomed her with open arms and warm smiles. She pushes the hurt away, steeling herself with determination because she will do it again and she will do it better.

"Are you even allowed to address me by my father's last name, Itachi?" She asked absently as she hands in their forms to the gaping chunin. She fights so hard to keep the grin off her face while they splutter and gawk. She knows she's a female version of her father. It really shouldn't have been that hard to figure out. "Also, how many times do I need to ask you to call me Naruto?"

"Sandaime-sama plans to make it public soon anyways," Itachi said with a shrug and Naruto fights the urge to laugh. Five years in the village and Itachi's already learning to twist around rules for his own sense of humor. She's would've been so proud if she hadn't noticed him sidestepping her requests to be called by her name.

She gives the duo of chunin a long suffering look, who only give her grins, before turning to look at Itachi. He looks more like the Itachi of the future she remembers, if a bit less sickly. He's grown taller, broader at the shoulders, which makes sense since he's physically eighteen now. She smiles softly at Itachi then, tackling him into a hug because she never gets tired of the surprise the other feels in the face of affection. She feels her face break into a grin when he puts a hand on her head.

She needs Itachi to understand that they are a team now. That the three of them are bound together by fate, time travel and Sasuke, and that means sticking together because in some ways they are all they have. 

"Maa, we'd still need to report in," Kakashi said, finnaly pushing off of where he's been leaning at the gate. Obito exchanges a nod with Itachi, and Kakashi actually ruffles the Uchiha clan head's hair when he passes by much to everyone's amusement.

"Right, let's go!"

\--------------

"Team 7, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno," Iruka promptly ignores Sakura's whoop, wondering why he let her pass again, before clearing his throat.

"You'll be teamed together with," Iruka blinks once, then again as he reads the last name because that couldn't be right. Except he remembers his student, years ago, who climbed up the ladder to graduate in a matter of a three years. She went from dead last to top of the class in a week, and got bumped up to a year over and over again till she's graduating several months after.

Naruto still manages to make him smile faintly, and he wonders now how he never saw it with the particular shade of blonde hair and that specific blue of her eyes. "You'll be teamed together with a gennin who graduated a while back but has been unable to take the chunin exam because she'd been solo apprenticed under one of our village's elite jounin." He watches the curiosity in Sasuke's eyes, and the worry in Sakura's and wonders what they'll think of her.

Iruka finishes team assignments, and instructs the children to wait for their senseis, and in team seven's case, their other teammate, before dismissing his class for lunch. He wondered exactly when Naruto came back to the village, and decides he couldn't wait to see her.

He is pleasantly surprised when he finds his student sitting in a bar stool when he ducks into Ichiraku Ramen.

He looks at Naruto, and realizes that for all that she looks like a thirteen year old she doesn't feel like it. Her hair flows down to her back, pin straight and pinned to one side. She's sitting with a loose casualness that he knows means she'd be able to spring into action at a moment's notice if needed. She's aware of her surroundings too, having glanced his way when he walked in.

He suspects he would have had an armful of blonde if she hadn't been mid conversation with teuichi. As it is she simply offers him a grin before going back to what she was saying.

She looks more sure of herself now, lounging in her seat, even though she's still every bit as eye catching as before. She probably won't be one for stealth, but she has never been. Could never have afforded to be with the vast ocean that's her chakra and the bright sunshine yellow of her hair.

She's wearing a very familiar short sleeved haori now too, that solidifies the last name he's read on the team assignment scrolls earlier. It's the same high colared white haori with red flames licking at the very edge. It falls down to her calves though with sleeves shorter than what her father had worn. It's short enough to leave a strip of skin visible before her fingerless gloves that goes up to her upper arms.

She turns to look at him and Iruka sees the orange kimono top she has under the haori paired with black shorts and black shinobi sandals.

"You've grown, Naruto-chan," Iruka said as he drops into the seat next to her. She gives him a one armed hug in return.

"Hey sensei, I've missed you." her soft voice still catches him by surprise. She had been talking like like that for a long time now, but he still remembers the Naruto he met. The little girl who was all stubborn energy and loud proclamations. The Naruto who reminded him so much of his younger self. Except she's grown up far too fast. She's lost the need to grab attention, and it fills Iruka with bittersweet pride. She has grown up. "I have a lot to tell you."

\--------------

Seeing Iruka is always an exercise in caution, Naruto thinks. He's precious to her no matter how much time has passed, and she has fought to gain the acceptance of this Irukaa. She always wonders how much affection is acceptable, to this man who isn't the brother who had died for her in another life. How much was she allowed to love this Iruka, who hadn't fought off a traitor for her. Who hadn't taught her the difference between a kunai and a scroll.

She's happy that he still seems as fond of her as the Iruka before though, and that will have to be enough.

If seeing Iruka had been hard, it had nothing when she finally meets her teammates.

They have a long way to go, before they grow up to be the powerhouses she knows they could be. It will be a while more before this Sakura learns to bare her fangs. Before this Sasuke finds his feet. She will not be the dunce this time around, but she figures she could serve as a yardstick for the two. She knows how competetive both of them are, and has every intention of taking advantage of it to push them farther.

She listens to their introductions, and has to smile because for all that this world has changed, Sakura is still the same. Maybe it isn't good, per se, that she's a fangirl and more concerned of her looks than her skills, but they will have time.

"Alright you next," Kakashi nods towards Sasuke and Naruto tried not to lean forward in anticipation.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes and my brother. I dislike.. fangirls." Naruto wants to laugh at the grimace in Sasuke's face, and the horror sinking into Sakura, but tries hard not to. "My hobbies include training and cooking, and my dream.. is to protect my clan and to one day be acknowledged by my own merits."

Naruto's eyes soften, realizing that this Sasuke would probably be living in Itachi's shadow. She cannot imagine the pressure there but she knows she will have to help him learn the one lesson that took Naruto a lifetime to learn. That while recognition is nice, public opinion doesn't define you.

"Last," Kakashi nods at her and she smiles at him before turning to her curious teammates.

"My name is Namikaze Naruto," there's still something amazing about being to introduce herself with her father's name. Something like pride and relief and the feeling of it being real. Tangible, that she was a Namikaze. "I like ramen and seals. I dislike unecessary violence. My hobbies include training and researching new seals. My dream, is to one day become hokage and to put a stop to the endless cycle of hatred that grips this world."

She sees the warmth in Kakashi-sensei's face. The confusion in Sasuke's. But the worst one is the insecurity and shame in Sakura's face. Naruto wonders if she feels like her own introduction was inadequate? She could only hope the insecurity would push the girl into developing better training habits, instead of her taking the path of animosity.

\---------

"Alright, I have a bell on me. Whichever one of you manages to get it, I'll take on as my student along with Naruto," Kakashi told the gennin with an eye smile.

He wonders if this would help Sakura grow out of her crush, given the idea that Sasuke's standing between her and her career. It would certainly motivate her, but the fact that it's just the two of them would make it less likely for them to work together. It'd be most likely that the idea of working together won't even cross their mind. Much less asking Naruto for help given the opportunity.

He'll draw the line if they start sabotaging each other though. He'd fail them on principle, alternate lifetimes spent teaching them nonwithstanding.

He almost sighs when they come after him by themselves. Gennin always take his words at face value. He notes that Sasuke is stronger this time, better over all and it's probably because he had Itachi helping him train instead of just working by himself like he had before.

Sakura however was exactly like he remembered her at this age. She has a long way to go before she becomes the frontline medic nin who kept up with a team of monsters. She was just as easily subdued by a genjutsu of a dying Sasuke and was promptly tied up to a log.

"The point of this test was to see if you'd be able to put aside personal gain for the sake of the mission," Kakashi said and he fights a sigh at the confusion in their young faces. He's done all of this before, and it still hasn't made it any easier. "Instead you were too focused on yourselves."

"If you had gone after me together, you might have gotten the bell and succeeded. If you just had the forethought of asking Naruto for help, you might have actually won," he said and pushes down a pang of hurt and irritation at the fearful look Sakura sends his blonde student. He forgot that Sakura who was a civillian until this point was raised into thinking Naruto was evil incarnate. That it wasn't until much later, having bled and fight with her teammates that she was able to put aside what her parents told her and see Naruto for her own merits.

"Konoha is a village built upon teamwork," he said, pleased to see that they're both listening intently. It's refreshing to see Sasuke without a trace of anger on his face, simply curious if a bit disappointed in himself. It was so far away from the mulish disdain he remembered the Sasuke of their world feel at even the slightest suggestions of teamwork. "Every mission you're assigned to, you'd be sent with a team that will balance out your skills and allow you to succeed. It won't be that apparent when you start as gennin, but upon reaching chunin you'd start being placed with other shinobi of the village. Now, can any of you tell me why there's just one bell if you're supposed to work together?"

"It's to pit us against each other," Sasuke said with a thoughtful frown. In the corner of Kakashi's eyes he sees Naruto's eyes soften, specially when the Uchiha kept talking. "You wanted to see if we would be logical enough to realize how outmatched we were from the start, and try to work together to succeed because there's a bigger probability of failure by ourselves than together."

"Well thought out," Kakashi praised with a smile they wouldn't be able to see. This was how Sasuke could have been, if he hadn't been burried in anger and vengance. While they knew he was intelligent before, you'd rarely see it outside of the skills he'd display in a fight. He would never be the one to offer his opinions and observations, preferring to keep them to himself and later be even more disdainful when he realizes his teammates didn't get it.

"I'll give you another chance after this." He gives them the same spiel of Sakura starving, and is pleased to see Sasuke feeding her despite his obvious dislike of the girl for the sake of the mission. So he passes them, like he has in his last timeline, and brings them to the memorial stone after.

"Naruto, what's the greatest lesson I've taught you," he asked the blonde who was looking at her parents names on the stone.

"We are taught all our lives, that the people who fail their missions are scum. But people who abandon their teammates, are worse than scum," she turns to look at her teammates them. She sees determined eyes looking back at her and it makes her smile.

The future really is looking rather bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked me for a bit more dialogue and well... That really wasn't the point of this fic? I'm sorry... I'd probably add a couple of oneshots with personal character interaction later. Maybe. But "With Eyes Sealed Shut" was made with the focus on a plot line and me seeing if I could actually finish a fic?
> 
> It's kinda crappy. I know. But, if you want something that actually has a bit more interactions, you'd probably be better off reading [ But Twice As Bright ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24211201). I had written it a day after I finished this one, with that exact intention.
> 
> This was an exercise for me to get back into writing again. And actually finish something.
> 
> Anyways, thank you people who do enjoy this. Thank you so much.


	6. Picking Pace

Naruto arived at the bridge around 30 minutes earlier than the agreed time. She knows Kakashi well enough that he'd be spending at least 30 minutes to an hour wandering Konoha's winding streets. He'd probably spend another hour pestering Obito who she knows is in the village, which she lets him get away with because it's healthier than him moping at home.

While he hadn't had much time and opportunity to be blatantly late when they were wandering through the elemental nations, probably because they didn't have a schedule established and anyone of authority to report to, he had taken every opportunity when he could manage it. From agreed meetup points when they split off upon entering a town to wander, to even the most trivial things like inn curfew hours. He would end up arriving via front door with the most ridiculous excuses.

It confused her at first, because she knew he did it before to talk to the memorial stone, but then she realized how it made Obito splutter with indignation when he hears the excuses. Kakshi was doing it to be an asshole, probably making fun of Obito's past habits just as much as being unable to let go of a lifetime of tardiness. Or maybe he's just pulling pigtails, Naruto can't be too sure with the two.

Still, the point stands that Kakashi would be late today. Would probably drop by later with Obito in tow and the most ridiculous excuse he could come up with just to see the indignant spluttering of everyone but Naruto.

She's desesitized to it by this point.

Still, that means she'll have to be the one running things for the first hour or two, assuming her teammates listen to her. All she needs is to get Sasuke on board really, and young Sakura was sure to follow. And Sasuke would be easy enough to motivate if you knew what you were doing. 

She creates several clones, sending all but one to start scouting the area. The last one she sends to look for Kakashi for permission to assess her teammates. He was still their sensei after all, and she respects her teacher enough not to just take over the class when he isn't there.

She's in the middle of morning stretches when her teammates arrive. She can hear Sakura trying to strike conversation with Sasuke who was probably doing his best to emulate a brick wall.

"Right, good morning," she greets the two with a bow after pulling back on her Haori. "It's best if you start your stretches now, I think."

She sees Sakura's mouth open, the beginnings of an indignant response on her lips that she swallows back down when their male teammate gives a "Hn," of agreement and begins stretching.

Sakura is clumsy, clearly unused to the idea of regularly stretching. Maybe she hadn't needed it as much before, seeing as she's never been one for strenuous exercise at this age, but she will need it now.

In another life, Kakashi had been a traumatized shell of a man who could barely fend for himself. Much less care for two traumatized children and a civilian born child. In another life they were a powder keg waiting to explode while a village watched on with bated breath, waiting for the inevitable fall out. But this was not that life.

They are far from stable, Kakashi and herself of course, but they know better now. They had been rebuilding themselves and every tangible step they took to a better future did helped every breath after come easier. That and they had each other. What bond they may have had in the other world, in the future that would never be, had only grown stronger now that they're culling a war from it's roots years before it ever began.

She had Kakashi. A comrade, a brother, a confidant. Someone who understood all the nightmares and saw all the ghosts that haunted her footsteps. What she will have with this new Sakura and Sasuke might not be the same with her teammates before, but these were still hers. They burned with the same stubborn fire and budded with the same potential. And this time Naruto knew where they could go. Where they would be great. She has seen it with her own eyes once upon a time and now she delights in the idea of being able to help shape them instead. 

"I don't know how much you know about the village's jounin," Naruto begins while they go about their stretching. She is please to see some level of attentiveness from her teammates who had always been dismissive of her before. "But they're all rather..., infamous for their quirks."

"Quirks?" Sakura asked as she sat down on the ground to begin back and leg stretches.

"It's a more polite way of saying they're all, on some level, batshit insane," Naruto answered with a bright smile that makes Sakura gape and makes Sasuke huff. "The longer you work with varying jounin, the truer you'd realize this. It's probably a coping mechanism."

"I know a jounin that wears green leotard and yells about Youth everywhere he goes," Sasuke admits, shuddering and Naruto smiles brighter. It's these little things that make her realize how much they've already changed this world. A friendlier, brighter Sasuke, just as quiet and perhaps arrogant but only in the way people who know they're smarter are. Still he's offering his opinions, sharing what he knows and there is no underlying grief or hatred or need that coats his every word. It's refreshing. 

"Gai-san is one of the more visible examples, but all Jounin of the village are kind of crazy in their own way," Naruto admits with a smile. "Anyways, Kakashi-sensei.., well, he's late."

"Late as in he's doing something insanity related today and it's going to make him late?" Sakura asked.

"Late as in, deliberately, annoyingly, unrepentantly late. He's never on time. Ever. He makes conscious effort to do it, is too good to be forced to make an appearance and changes how late he's going to be on whim. The last time he was ever on time for anything was when he was 13. It's nothing personal, so don't feel like he's ignoring us or doesn't give two shits because of it." Naruto informs them cheerfully. She watched their eyes twitch with amusement and hopes her clarifications would save them the trouble of insecure gennin the way her team had been before.

Then she claps two hands together, exclaims "Which is why, we won't be wasting time waiting for sensei!" just as brightly. 

"What did you have in mind?" Sasuke asked, curious as he finally finishes his stretches, getting up off the ground.

"I haven't been back in the village since I've graduated five years ago," she said and checks to see the other two listening. It's still a novelty to her. Still something she had to remind herself of sometimes. That she would be listened to. That people found her worth listening to, and it was still something special for her. "I really have no idea how the two of you work, what your skills are and what areas you're lacking. The same is true the other way around of course. So what better way to get to know each other, than to spar!"

Sakura gulps in apprehension, but there's a glint of excitement in Sasuke's eyes. Apparently he saw Naruto as a strong opponent. While it is true, naruto still feels a flicker of warmth, that this younger Sasuke acknowledged her.

She wonders if he remembered when they met years ago.

"First, I want to see the two of you spar," Naruto said and Sakura turns to look at Sasuke with equal parts admiration and apprehension. She knows how competitive the pinkette could be, and hopes this exercise would show her how far behind she is. Maybe she'd start taking her training seriously earlier this time around. "Then Me and Sasuke, then Me and Sakura."

"We have to spar twice?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"We'll be sparring twice each. It'll be fun, and a good introduction," Naruto said with a grin. "Afterwards, if sensei isn't here yet we could sit down together and go over our spars and whatnot later."

"Alright," Sasuke said and he's actually grinning with anticipation. If there's one thing that hasn't changed between this Sasuke and the other one, it's their love to fight. It may be clouded in the other Sasuke, burried behind layers of him denying being human and enjoying himself, but it's there with every time they did their best to beat each other up to an inch of their lives.

Naruto fights a grin, when Sasuke and Sakura finally settle into fighting stances across each other in the field. She had drawn a circle on the dirt in the middle of the clearing. It was wide enough to hold a C-rank fight, but not too wide that they can't purposely knock each other out of the circle to win. It's either that, knock out or the enemy being unable to battle. Distantly, she can sense Kakashi and Obito observing them from the trees. Apparently he agreed with her idea of assessing them first.

"Hajime!" And, the fight was over before it even began. Sasuke had Sakura in a genjutsu and held her with a kunai to the throat in a matter of a minute. Overall, underwhelming.

"You could have drawn it out a little so we actually know what she can do," Naruto admonished with a put upon sigh. His only response was a "hn" before he released Sakura from the genjutsu.

"What.." She looked around confused and Naruto fought a sigh. They have a long long way to go, it seems.

"Just for that, I'm fighting Sakura first." Naruto's pleased by the look of indignation on his face, having rightfully guessed that he was itching to fight her.

"Fine," Sasuke growled, moving to where she's standing while she joins Sakura at the ring.

"You got trapped by a genjutsu, Sakura-san," Naruto explained and was pleased to see the other kunoichi grit her teeth and pull out a kunai.

"Hajime!"

Naruto decides to wait for what she's going to do instead of attacking first. This was an evaluation of skills after all, and they still needed a good idea of what Sakura could do. Would it be cruel to dance around all her attacks and wait for her to tire herself out? Maybe, but it's a learning experience for the young medic-to-be and that's what Naruto does. 

She effortlessly dodges the initial flurry of weapons Sakura sends her. When she jumps in to engage Naruto in taijutsu she goes on to using just the bare minimum movement she would need to deflect her blowns, simply slapping her punches and kicks away. The girl then summons two basic clones to try and confuse her, all of them gunning for a punch and Naruto doesn't bother blocking the two illusory clones, letting them shatter as they come into contact with her. Instead she grabs the real Sakura's hand, using the girl's own momentum to twists her arm and pin her down to the ground.

"Match," Sasuke calls, looking even more excited to fight. On the ground, their other teammate's still squirming in frustration.

Naruto feels somewhat guilty, but it's the only way she knows to motivate someone. Because it's what pushed her forward too, in another time. Being so weak and terrified of being left behind, she did everything to get stronger. To catch up to the Sasuke of her time.

To her Sasuke.

She rarely thinks of him in that way these days. Not like how she had been in their earlier years in this world. Plagued with bittersweet dreams of that last moment they had shared. Of quiet moments of companionship amidst war.

She had mourned her Sasuke just as much as she had mourned her Konoha. Her people and her friends and the battles they had gone through, all swept away in hopes of a better future where they wouldn't have to fight those battles that broke and reforged them.

She has had time to deal with the loss. The distance from Konoha had certainly helped, and now when she looks at her village all she sees is a promise. All she sees is hope like sunshine spilling out from behind the Kage mountains when the sun rises.

It's with this ease that she stands in front of this Sasuke, slotting into a comfortable stance to begin their first spar of this lifetime.

\-------------

She's good. It's the first thing that comes to Sasuke's mind during the first 5 minutes of their spar.

By some unspoken agreemet they had agreed to a taijutsu battle first and he doesn't fail to realize that while she's moving and dodging, she has yet to strike back. That and the fact that not a single one of his blows have landed yet. There's grace to her movements, and it reminds him of his brother and he wonders if Naruto is another person he would have to catch up to before he makes a name for himself.

She's always just a bit faster. Always moves just right to block and dodge and redirect, and Sasuke doesn't fancy a battle of simply trying to outlast each other. So he disengages and runs his hands through hand seals so familiar he doesn't even have to think about.

He puffs out a gout of fire in her general direction. He knows she could simply Kawarimi out of the clearing if she really can't dodge it, hopefully doing so and forfeiting the spar, but he doesn't hold his breath.

He's just mildly surprised by the wall of packed dirt that had cropped up. If she was an earth style user he'd be done for, after all. Except she pops out from behind the wall, hands flashing through hand seals and she blows a gust of wind as wide as his earlier fireball.

He had been urging her to Kawarimi out of the clearign to forfeit. Clearly she has every intention to just literally blow him out of the field regardless of what he himself would have to say about it.

The clearing is clean. Meters of packed dirt with nothing on it to substitute himself with. Sighing, he lets himself be blown away, twisting to look at where he's going to land to try and catch himself at least. Except, someone else catches him.

\--------

"Oi Naruto, should you really be throwing my baby cousin into trees?" Sasuke looks at the man, and is sure he hasn't seen him. And he would remember meeting an Uchiha older than Itachi. Especially with the amount of scars he has twisting up half of his face. There's only one Uchiha he hasn't met before, who was gone for a five year long mission according to his brother.

Five years long mission. Oh...

"Obito-nii?" He finds himself asking, unsure if his form of address would be acceptable. But there are only fifteen of them left, most of them younger than Sasuke himself and they had grown closer even when most of the children where being fostered by other clans. It's why he takes time to visit as much of them as he can, even the ones who are already old enough to return to the rebuilt Uchiha compound and live by themselves.

They're family now and at this point he calls all of them brothers and sisters. It's only natural to think of Obito as such, even when the man hasn't been home for five years.

"Hello little Sasuke. You've grown up." Obito's smile is soft even as it twists his scars. He lets Sasuke down and and pats his head fondly. Obito-nii is family too, Sasuke decides.

"Maa, it's good for their development," another voice speaks up and when he looks, their jounin sensei is sitting on the brances where he and his older cousin had been earlier. "You should know considering how many times I've thrown you into a tree when we were younger."

"Bakashi!!" Obito growls indignant, jumping up the trees to give chase and Sasuke boggles. It must be normal though, given Naruto's amused laughter.

"They were teammates," Naruto clarifies to him and Sakura who stares just as confused at the two jounin thet had left them behind. "Also, they've actually been observing us since the fight began."

"They have?!" Sakura's mortified shriek is grating, but Sasuke would be mortified too if he performed just as poorly on the first day they got their jounin sensei.

"We'll just have to get better," Naruto said in reassurance, probably trying not to be rude and say 'you' instead of 'we.'

"And you will." Apparently the jounin are back, waltzing in to catch the tail end of their conversation. "Good idea with the spars, Naruto. Now, I thought you mentioned a discussion."

He sits down at the center of the clearing, patting the ground by him, before he turns to the trees again. "Well what are you waiting for? The gennin won't be teaching themselves you know."

"Bakashi, it's day one and you're already shunting your gennin off to me?" Cousin Obito grumbles but he makes his way over anyways. He grumpily settles beside the other jounin, arms crossed but he seems attentive.

"Alright, now where do you think would you need improving?" Kakashi asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sooo sorry for the delay! My laptop's charger broke and i couldn't get a new one because of quarantine. I managed to steal back some of my files before she finally sputtered to a stop, but that meant editing and writing on phone.
> 
> Anyways, here's a reaaally late chapter. I'm sorry! Enjoy. T~T


	7. Rearing Backwards

Naruto had very little memories of being afraid. It mostly came from the childish optimism she once had. Her unwavering faith that the world would do right by her. It came with innocence and the belief that she would never lose anyone regardless of her actions, so long as she believed she could do it.

She would be the first to say that she was a stupid kid.

Nevertheless, she was the kind of person who would stand in front of anyone, come hell and high water, to protect her precious people. And through every defining battle, not once had she felt fear the way she felt it now.

It felt like she was purposefully endangering them. Even when she knew she could protect them. Even when she knew they had survived this a lifetime ago, weaker and less prepared. These statements of logic did nothing to stop the lump of fear that had made it's home in the base of her throat and refused to leave.

It had been there when they faced the demon brothers, unnoticed by everyone else but perhaps Kakashi. It was there when she deflected their chains, counting on Sasuke to pin them down like he did a lifetime ago. It was there even as Kakashi incapacitated the missing nin, and stayed there as he interrogated Tazuna while she sealed the brothers' chakra shut for at least a couple of weeks.

She felt like she was failing them, these two children that had been pulled into their team. These two children they had selfishly pulled along with them, probably fated to follow them to danger, all because they cannot let Team Seven go.

Except, this was a different Team Seven than before.

Sakura was already working so hard towards getting better. She was already fighting to keep up even now, robbed of the security blanket of at least being better than Naruto that her Sakura had. Sasuke was different too. Perhaps still distant, but it was mostly due to his aprehension of Sakura and her behaviour. He was just as eager to fight, but lacked the undercurrent of grief and misery that suffused his counterpart's every breath and movement.

They already knew tree walking at this point. Were already training water walking when they accepted the c-rank. They were stronger in every way. Naruto had taken over the very basic stretching and strength building exercises in the early morning before Kakashi got there, consistently pushing them to be better. A part of her feels like she is as much a sensei of this team as he is at this point.

And maybe she is afraid still, but that doesn't mean she would shelter them. Support them, definitely. Protect them from certain harm, sure. But she will not coddle them, because they need this. They need to learn. She has faith that they will.

And then they encounter Zabuza.

She has clones setting up a barrier seal around Tazuna even as the missing nin and Kakashi banter. Apparently her use of fuuinjutsu is distinct enough that it catches his attention when the barrier seal glows gold and settles around the bridge builder.

"So it is true," the man said looking straight at Naruto. Had she been any other gennin, she probably would have quailed at the blood thirsty grin he sends her way. As it is it doesn't even make her blink, which only serves to make him grin further. "There had been whispers that the copy-nin took a student."

"I took three," Kakashi said casually, not a hint of worry on his voice.

"They said you took your old sensei's kid as an apprentice," Zabuza finishes, ignoring him entirely. "The daughter of the Yellow Flash himself."

Naruto doesn't say anything, simply smirking in response. She doesn't need to introduce herself to this man. Doesn't need to yell out who she is so people will notice. She will be acknowledged one day, by her strengths and merits. She doesn't need to shout to get there.

\-------------------

By the time Haku comes to steal Zabuza away, Kakashi is winded. He doesn't pass out however, not even near the level of chakra exhaustion he remembered feeling a lifetime ago in that situation. He watches Naruto unravel the barrier seals she had set up around Tazuna and feels the same wistful pride he always feels in these kinds of situations.

'You would have been proud of her sensei,' he thinks.

"Maa Naruto-chan, that was mean of you, hiding out here and leaving sensei to do all the work," Kakashi whines teasingly as they make their way back home. He walks at the back of the group, subtly checking over his kids now, keeping them in sight and making sure they're alright.

"I've seen you face worse sensei, you would have been fine," Naruto said, rolling her eyes and entirely dismissive.

He takes a moment to relish the disbelief and awe in his other genin's faces, before he decides to respond. "But now dear old sensei's exhausted. How ever am I going to take care of the pups when we get back."

The dry look she levels him with is hillarious. It looks exactly like how Minato-sensei would look at him when he started appearing late with Obito's bullshit on his lips. Passively he wonders when that happened, that he could think of Minato-sensei and only feel fond and nostalgic. It took a while for him to realize that it didn't hurt as much, remembering them when he was with still the fourth's student.

"Fine," she growled, glaring at him before pouting in an expression that was neither of her parents. A look that was entirely Naruto's and it makes him smile even more. He picks up the pace a bit more, resting a hand on her head that makes her sigh resignedly before she rewards him with a smile.

"I'll train them while we're here. Recover your chakra," she tells him and he fights the urge to say 'yes Hokage-sama.'

\-----------

They leave the bridge a whole week later than the last time, simply because this time Naruto makes an effort to visit Wave's daimyo before they leave. Everything worked out well this time, the battle ending with Haku sealed and incapacitated and Zabuza alive just because Naruto convinces him of Gatou's plans. That the short man comes himself moments later and confirms it only helps their case.

The two leave with warm smiles and words of thanks, promising to look for Mei Terumi and her rebellion.

Back to the matter at hand. It was clear that Sasuke and Sakura had been expecting Kakashi to lead with their negotiations when they went to the daimyo's palace. It was clear that the daimyo himself was expecting the same. Kakashi however was content to stand back, watching Naruto walk forward and bow to the daimyo and keeping an eye on his other pups. He has no interest in playing nice with politicians.

"Daimyo-sama, thank you for agreeing to speak with us," Naruto said in a voice that was equal parts soft as is it firm. The Daimyo of wave was practically destitute at this point, daimyo in name and name alone. Still it would not do to show disrespect when the country is clearly in their dept and they could only earn good will from here.

"You were the esteemed shinobi who had helped Tazuna-san with the bridge, yes?" The old man asked, voice somewhat greasy and quivering, most likely terrified of what they might demand as payment. They could literally ask for anything and Wave would have no choice but to double over backwards considering the bridge Konoha helped them build.

"Indeed, Daimyo-sama. If I may introduce myself and my team to him and his court," Naruto asked politely and Kakashi can't help but remember the rude, loud mouthed brat he got as a gennin in another life. He wonders when exactly his student had learnt manners along the way. "This is our sensei Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi nods, eyes bored and nonchalant. From how the Daimyo's eyes widened, hastily nodding in response he realizes that this man has actually been keeping track of the bingo books despite lacking shinobi themselves. Probably to be expected, given his stature and responsibilities to his people.

"My teammates Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke." His students bow, though his focus is on the man whose eyes linger longer on Sasuke. There's a hint of intrigue and pity there. He's heard of the massacre then. For such a small country, they kept up with neighboring country gossip.

"And I, Daimyo-sama, am Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto." He doesn't miss the significance of her introduction. Wave's missions were primarily sourced out to Uzushio once upon a time after all. If anyone would understand the significance of both her last names, it would be the daimyo of this place. Judging by the widening of his eyes, he understands the implications too.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze-hime! Welcome to Wave," he greets in a flustered, eager to please way that makes Kakashi want to punch things. Preferably the Daimyo. There was a reason why in the future that never was, he was quick to give up the kage seat and return to the front lines.

For all his genius, Kakashi hated politics. He hated the inefficiency of it. The stupidity and posturing, specially when it comes to entitled civilians that even a 13 year old academy graduate could get rid of. Except, Naruto is actually good at it, personable and approachable the way Kakashi never was. He watches her talk to the man, share her views about what she had seen of his people and what could be done. She even manages to broker an agreement for them and Konoha where they would prioritize Konoha with mission requests and in return they wouldn't ask for the rest of Tazuna's fee. Something that would pay better in the long run.

When they finally leave Wave, they are escorted by the daimyo's man and given what they had of Uzushio's old scrolls too.

"What?" Naruto asked, finally unable to take in the shocked looks her teammates were sending.

\---------------

"Itachi!!" Said shinobi watched his younger brother's eye twitch, apparently having been beaten to the punch by his teammate. He looks at Naruto who had arms around his waist, and proceeds to pat her hair.

"Did your mission go well, Namikaze-sama?" he asked, holding back a smile as Sasuke's eye twitched again.

"It was amazing, Itachi!" she smiles all sunshine and energy and Itachi wonders if he would have been able to smile just as brightly had he lived her life. "You should have seen your brother. You would have been proud of him." She lets go of him then, puling away and twisting to look at Sasuke, who had his arms crossed in a huff.

"I've always been proud of Sasuke," Itachi said calmly, and this time he doesn't bother fighting his smile when his baby brother huffs and looks away. His pinks have flushed pink and all Itachi could see is his youth.

He's so very different now. Precious and soft and young, the way he had never been allowed to in another life. Someone for Itachi to cherish and protect. This was the reason they worked as hard as they did after all. To create a Konoha Sasuke could live in. One where he didn't have to live with the mistakes of the people who should have done nothing but support him.

"Ne Sasuke-san, Sakura-san, you two should head home now. I'm sure you're missing your own beds. Write up your mission reports and hand them over tomorrow okay?" Naruto instructs and Itachi wonders how much time she actually spends in charge. She's practically a jounin now after all. They all know it. The only reason why she hadn't gone for any of the past chunin exams was because they needed her to participate in the coming one. "If you have trouble filling it in, you could look for me tomorrow and I'll help you with it."

"I'll make sure to hand it in on time," she gives Kakashi an accusing look after, who raises his hands up in surrender and gives her a closed eyes smile. For someone with barely a quarter of his face visible, he could be rather expressive. Which was ironic considering Itachi never wore a mask but was, according to the other ANBU he worked with, about as emotive as a brick.

"You can have the day off tomorrow. Be sure to rest and take time for yourselves. Then, meet up at the bridge on the same time on monday," Kakashi instructs to which the other two gennin nod. He then turns to Naruto, who gives Itachi one more quick hug before running after the man.

"Bye Itachi! Make sure Sasuke doesn't sneak of to train. He's a little low on chakra!" She calls before disappearing with Kakashi to make their reports.

\--------------

"Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked, already knowing what the answer would be. There was a certain jitteriness to his bones, not visible in any way physically but enough that it doesn't allow him to fall back into the years of dull, monotonous peace.

It was the curse of a man born in the throes of war. Of a child of the warring eras, even when his family had been one of the first clans to move into Konoha. Battle was in his veins. It was in his soul, and it had allowed him to lead this village through two wars and come out stronger for it. It had allowed him to lead Konoha into the global superpower they were known now.

It was what made him frail, in these times of peace. Weary and bound and so very old.

There is joy in his heart, seeing children running free and unburdened. This was the dream that Konoha was built for. Of safe walls that shielded and protected when the world outside turned cold. He loves his village and his people, for all that there is a certain distance and an inability to judge outside of war time.

He has tried to the best of his ability of course, but apparently it was not enough. Not when all three of his students were scattered to the winds. Not when his own child ran away from him. Not when he let his people throw away the sacrifice of a hero and hail him and his son a traitor. Not when he had stood by as a promising young man threw away his life and his clan for the sake of peace. Not when his successor's only child was ostracized by the very village she had been sacrificed for.

His sins kept piling up. So many mistakes he had not been able to comprehend, simply because he was a man out of his time. This world was a world of the future after all, and he had no business running the land Minato had already reshaped. 

Just a little bit more time. A bit more and he would have his successor. And before that, he would have help every step of the way. In the way Danzo and his teammates should have been for him. Except, they were all like him too. Old men in a new world that was no longer theirs.

He looks at the gathering of men before him. Strong willed and able bodied warriors who carried with them the will of Fire. Who will lead the future with their hands.

He meets a lone charcoal eye, and there's anticipation there mirroring the unsettling feeling in his old bones.

"I nominate Team Seven for the chunnin exams, hokage-sama."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload! It was my baby sister's birthday and I decided to decorate the house, cook and bake for her. She had to cancel her plans for huge party because of the pandemic so I thought I'd surprise her instead.
> 
> So yeah, here it is. A bit of introspection on why Hiruzen was somewhat ineffective as a Kage during Naruto's time.
> 
> Whatcha think?


	8. Striking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I DID AN OOPSIE!!!**
> 
> I'm so sorry! Omgosh. So apparently, only now do I notice that the ipdate got cut in half! The chunin exam half got torn off for some reason and I didn't notice till I had the first comment. Omgosh. I'm sorry! It's there now....  
> T~T
> 
> As apology I'll be uploading the next chapter tomorrow. I'm sorry.

There weren't many people that Naruto wouldn't want to save.

If she had been able to keep forgiving Sasuke, who had pushed her away at every single opportunity and drove a literal lightning blade through her, then there really wasn't much you could do to earn her ire and keep it. Naruto, at this age, has reached a certain understanding of people that she never had.

People were driven by fear. Every wish, every desire had fear behind them. Even she, herself, was honest enough to admit it. She was afraid of being alone after all. Of failing her precious people. Of losing them and getting them hurt.

That being said, she had one person she really wanted to save in this timeline. Someone who a lot of people would argue, didn't deserve another chance. But she wasn't one to be judge, jury and executioner. It is not in her nature to spurn those who have not hurt her. She already has a hard enough time spurning those that do. Bottom line is, Naruto Namikaze was incapable of a grudge.

That Orochimaru had allowed her to talk to her father, had lent them aid in the great war by summoning the Kage, made her realize that the man wasn't completely iredeemable. He's just terrified of death, apparently. Terrified of being gone, losing all the knowledge and power he had accumulated for himself.

'He was terrified of dying before his parents were reincarnated,' Tsunade once told her.

At the end of the day, he was just another lonely orphan.

That being said, she would not sacrifice any of her own people for a "chance." Specially not Sakura and Sasuke, who were hers in a way her past teammates were not. Because she has taken up a role that is more guide and teacher than fellow student in this timeline. Even more so Kurama who has been with her before she even knew it.

So while the choice sits heavy in her heart, there is no hesitation when she drives a rasengan into the snake sannin's chest.

\---------------

Sakura was shaking like a leaf, Sasuke out cold in one of her clone's arms. They had decided to head straight for the tower. Naruto has six clones maintaining a perimeter around their team, two more scout ahead and another three where out looking for a scroll.

Things had not gone according to plan.

It turns out that being more well known had worked against her this time. Orochimaru had been prepared, having a seal on himself that existed simply as a counter to chakra suppresants. She had almost died, slapping the seal onto him only for him to prove entirely unaffected. He had almost lopped her head of with Kusanagi and she had not expected the gout of flame that followed after.

What followed was an S-rank battle that no doubt allerted the village of what was going on. It took every trick and advantage of hers to defeat the snake sage who really had just been humoring them the first time around. He's willy, intelligent and powerful. He had to be to survive as long as he has.

It was harder when she wasn't just fighting for her life. When she has her precious teammates to protect. It was something Orochimaru knew and took full advantage of. And then he's unufrling a scroll, with a seal on it she recognized on sight. Something she knows all too well.

He wants to pull Kurama out of her.

In the end she has no choice. Not when her words fall to deaf ears, repaid by jeering insults and cruel sneers.

She tags him with a seal, to stop him from changing vessels to escape. Her heart is heavy, at the look of surprise, when he corners her and she's left with no choice but to bury a rasengan into his heart.

\----------

"Are you alright?" It was a pleasant surprise, prying open the scrolls to see Kakashi instead of Iruka. He opens both eyes and inspects all three of them for injury.

"We will be, sensei." Naruto responds, smiling tiredly. "No one got permanently injured. I'm sure we would be fine with some food and rest."

"Well you have the next four days to rest and recover." There is relief in Kakashi's eyes, and pride when he puts his hand on Naruto's head. "Take care of the pups until then okay?"

She looks at her team. Looks at their ragged, bruised faces. At Sasuke passed out and exhausted because he wouldn't do anything less to protect his teammates. At Sakura shaking and bruised but watchful, standing where she could keep an eye on them and regularly scanning the room for danger.

She turns to look back at Kakashi, who looks so proud and so relieved, and smiles.

"We'll be fine, sensei."

=========

Watching Neji beat up Hinata was painful. It reminds her that while she has done the bigger things, has removed enemies of the far future, she still isn't done. It's then that she realizes just how much she had affected the Konoha 11 of her time, and is resolute to helping again.

She goes for the fastest route when dealing with Kiba and Akamaru. She still <em>can't</em> hurt a puppy, no matter what so she resorts to a sleeping seal on the pup and a fast taijutsu battle with Kiba while a clone keeps the puppy away and safe. It's over in a matter of minutes. Kiba is reliant on Akamaru for more than half of his jutsu. Effortlessly, she's proceeding to the chunnin exams.

Kiba actually thanks her, when she explains that she chose a seal that wouldn't hurt Akamaru. He's happy enough that she took the effort of choosing a more benign seal.

Sasuke's match was terrifying, simply because Sasuke was still recovering from mild chakra exhaustion and his opponent could absorb chakra. Still he was skilled enough even, without ninjutsu that he pushed through the fight and won.

She felt pride, when Sakura's match came around. She promptly booted Ino out of her mind and clobbered her up with her deceptively dainty fists. She passively notes how much her team relied on taijutsu now and thinks they should be flashier at the finals if they want to get promoted. She's already planning to get this Sakura tutored by Tsunade for the finals even as the match ends. She wonders if Itachi would offer any protest to Kakashi training Sasuke for the finals. The boy still needs to be taught some lightning jutsu to be able to keep up with Gaara after all.

\-----------

Hiruzen is watching his students seated before him. They were all generations of team 7 after all. Legacies of the leaf. This was the first time in years, that he had all three of his children home. That one of them tried to prey upon children and ended up dead made him feel his age as Naruto reports.

Jiraiya is staring at her with wide disbelieving eyes, glancing between her and Kakashi and Obito from time to time. He doesn't know yet. Will have to be told soon enough, so he could relinquish the key to Naruto, but Hiruzen will enjoy his bewilderment for now.

"So what are our plans for the Suna-Oto invasion?" He finally asks, and holds back a smile at Jiraiya's spluttering. He had dropped by earlier with that information, thinking they hadn't known about it. He's probably concerned thinking he'd just outed critical information on his 12 year old goddaughter.

He really should have been there for her.

"As we've always planned, Jiji," Naruto said. "I'll take care of Gaara. With Orochimaru... Taken care of, and the Ichibi occupied, Suna would hopefully find out about him masquerading as the third all this time and they'd hopefully pull out. Maybe. It would be easy enough to grab all the Oto nin and have them in T&I. You should have Obito-nii and Sensei watching over you just in case though."

"Indeed," he agreed. It isn't the first time she has lead their meetings. It probably wouldn't be the last, yet each and every time it fills him with so much pride for her and so much hope for the future.

"Maa, I believe there's something we should be telling the other members of this room," Kakshi finally speaks up.

Hiruzen looks at Uchiha Obito, who was looking at them suspiciously. This was not the first time he has been in their councils, and while he could chalk up the information on Konoha's spy network, it hasn't escpaed his notice that the members of their team tend to be defferent to Naruto, and that he himself listens to her in a way he would not to any mere child.

Jiraiya is much the same, confused and suspicious, though there's pride in his eyes as he looks at Naruto. It's laced with guilt though, shifty when he looks at her for too long, and a part of Hiruzen thinks '<em>good. Be guilty that you weren't there to see her grow up into such a fine shinobi.</em.'

He viciously tamps that voice down, listening to Naruto as she gives the story she has shared a handful of times.

==============

Naruto hadn't been prepared to see Jiraiya. She knew he would be here. Had expected it and planned around it. She had planned to talk to him, to bring him into the plans of the future because he's the only person who has the key to Kurama, who had been sleeping ever since they arrived in the past. Because he should be the one accompanying her to Ame when all this is done, to speak with Nagato. To defeat Pein.

So while logically she knew, it doesn't prepare her for the sucker punch of grief, loss and relief in her gut when she comes across the old man. Even when she finds him peeping in the baths.

She still twists his ear though, and drags him to her Jiji's office with threats of telling Tsunade if he didn't behave himself.

Now she's spilling out her story. To him and to Obito who they probably should have told sooner but they couldn't outside the village or anywhere that wasn't secure. So here she is, talking about her childhood. About growing up alone. About training with him. About the Akatsuki and the bijuu hunting. About bee and Kurama, and the beginnings of war. About failure, and fleeing from an angry goddess while they try to save as many people from pods as they can. About retreating to Uzushio, and trying to hold fort away from the world while they look for ways to defeat the people who had already won. About being made Kage to a broken village, fighting to keep what's left of her people safe. About a future they were steadily losing. About Sasuke's final bout of sacrifice, and waking up in the past.

Obito looks horrified. He looks so so guilty, staring at his hands unbelieving of the damage he could have wrought. Jiraiya looks at her with grim pride and determination. There's an apology in his eyes. Guilt and horror that she responds to with an understanding smile. She had long since forgiven the man, after all.

But her story is not over yet. She tells them of the past five years. Of everything they have worked towards. Everything they have changed. Everything that's left to be done.

By the time she is done, there is still grief, but there is hope and determination there too. There is faith in their eyes, burning like wildfire, at the thought of what their future can become.

\-------------------

When she finally finds Gaara, he's on the rooftops in the middle of the night.

"Mother is quiet when you're around," he tells Naruto. There's less anger in his teal eyes. More loneliness and relief. He is alone to his thoughts now, but it's terrifying to be alone. Naruto should know.

"We're alike, you know." Naruto said with a smile that makes Gaara frown in confusion. "I have a friend sealed in me too. His name is Kurama. He's the nine tailed fox."

"Why. .. why are you so different from me then?" His face is scrunched up in confusion and his eyes are so so sad that Naruto wants to hug him. She wants to tell him it will be better. That one day he will be great. That one day he will be loved.

"I found people who looked at me. Who saw Naruto and not the nine tailed fox," she said with a soft smile, approaching till she's a foot away. "I found friends to fight with. A family to protect. Who talked to me, and loved me. Who made me feel safe. Made me feel like I'm someone. Like I exist."

"Gaara," she looks at the young face, so far from the kage and general she remembers. This child will go far, she knows. "I acknowledge you and your existence. I can see you. I know you're real. Let me help you."

There are tears in his eyes, but he's grabbing the hand she reached out towards him. He doesn't let go even as she steps forward and lays a seal in his stomach. He is caught off guard, unprepared and when he falls unconscious, she is there to catch him.

\--------------

Gaara seems to be doing his best to emulate a particularly cuddly red panda. Which was adorable for Naruto and confusing to everyone else. Especially his own siblings who had never seen anyone touch their brother.

But there they are, walking down the road with Naruto practically hugging Gaara's arm as she drags him off to the training grounds for some semblance of privacy.

They've been walking for five minutes now. Three minutes ago, Temari and Kankuro had started trying to tail them. That Gaara has yet to detect them was a testament on how disoriented he was. They're stepping into training ground three when they encounter Itachi.

"Ne Gaara, this is Itachi. If you're in the leaf, and you ever need any help, he's one of the people you could go to," Naruto said with a smile, introducing the boy to the Uchiha clan head.

It was mere chance that Itachi had been leaving the same training ground they're headed to. Still, Naruto figured that Gaara needed more positive influences in his life and if there was anyone she could trust to handle the ichibi jinchuriki, it was Itachi who was apparently really good at dealing with traumatized children.

"Hello Gaara, welcome to Konoha." She watched him pull a stick out of his ever present box of pocky, and offer one to the kid who looked at him with equal parts apprehension and amazement. He looks to Naruto, who gives him an encouraging nod, before accepting the treat quietly. "Will the two of you be training, Namikaze-sama?"

Naruto hears the muted gasps from their tail. While Gaara had been oblivious to the people following them before, he isn't now and his head snaps towards the voices. Shakily, his siblings come out, looking at Naruto with a new sense of apprehension.

"I think not, Itachi. Gaara has about, 12 years of sleep to catch up on," she thinks, looking at the boy who was looking at her with wonder again. He was so confused earlier, waking up tucked in bed without a swath of destruction in his wake. She had to explain to him what was wrong with his seal, what she had done to help.

"Gaara can't sleep," Kankuro said rudely, glaring at them. Temari steps on his foot, eyeing Naruto and her brother with worry.

"He slept well enough last night," Naruto said, smiling at their gaping faces.

"We were ordered by our Jounin sensei to look for him," Temari said after drawing herself up, forcing aside the obvious wariness and hesitation on her face.

"I don't want to go." Gaara's voice booked no objections.

\---------------------------

In the end the invasion was dealt with before the tournament even started. The gennin were non the wiser as oto nin were captured and sent to T&I. Sand was quick to pull out when they discovered their Kage's death. Even more so when they realized that their 'ticking time bomb' had been effectively neutralized and had no intentions of harming Naruto and by extension, the village she loved so much.

Sakura had lost against Temari still, but mostly because she was a melee fighter. Neji lost, as was expected, but Naruto felt like she had been able to talk to him about the value of family and change. Sasuke had won, had actually won, against Gaara who looked surprised when Sasuke's punch actually landed after he drilled through his sand with a chidori.

Naruto had then gone on a three way battle against Shikamaru who had beat Dosu and Shino who was really a puppeteer's worst nightmare given that his kikkaichu could consume both chakra and wood. Naruto won of course, and after them Sasuke battled Temari who had quickly lost her wind type advantage against a powerful fire user.

It was almost ironic, facing Sasuke at the end. It felt like a book being closed and a chapter in her life finally being sealed. There was no malice in this battle, no need to prove their philosophies with every punch. There was only Sasuke's desire to test his strength against hers and it was glorious.

It felt like she could finally breathe, when Sasuke wished her good luck with utmost sincerity at the start of the match. Like relief when she extended two fingers down at his beaten form after and he readily answered. There was a spring in her step, as she wound Sasuke's arm over her shoulder and helped him out of the arena, all the while sharing bright grins and warm eyes.

It felt like an eternity of hatred was finally was set aside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So matches went like this.
> 
> First round  
> Sakura vs Temari  
> Sasuke vs Gaara  
> Naruto vs Neji  
> Shikamaru vs Dosu  
> Shino vs Kankuro
> 
> Second Round  
> Temari vs Sasuke  
> Naruto vs Shikamaru vs Shino
> 
> Last Round  
> Naruto vs Sasuke
> 
> I don't know if it was obvious but... I really wanted to save Orochimaru. Alaaaas, I couldn't. 😅 These chapters wrote themselves. I'm just the hand they chose to write with.
> 
> Anyways. Stay safe out there!


	9. Slowing Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **If you haven't read chapter 8 before I edited it, you probably should. It got cut off after the chunnin exam part when I first put it up so please check it out.**
> 
> If you've read it, well... Here you go! Enjoy!!!

Naruto made chunin, which was no surprise to anyone. They knew she'd be made jonin the moment she does anything that would make the promotion justifiable to the public. Sasuke made chunin too. Apparently his natural talents and more stable mind set made him fit for a promotion now.

It lit a fire under Sakura's feet, knowing that she'd been the only one passed up for promotion in her team. She vowed she'd catch up to them by the next chunnin exam, and none of her teammates doubted it.

That was what they were doing now, gathered at the bridge on their usual meeting point. Kakashi had been on time, much to the surprise and suspicion of the her other teammates. Naruto thinks they're probably about to start hurling weapons at their teacher and decides to intervene.

"Alright sensei, what now?" She was aware, vaguely, of what's left to be done but doesn't know exactly how they're planning to go on about it. She knows she'd be going on a three year trip with Jiraiya still, probably with one other person for protection based on what they're planning. She'll be learning senjutsu again, studying more about seals under the man, talking to Kurama and hopefully, hopefully, they'll be able to get through to Pein.

"Well Naruto, you're off for a three year training trip with Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi said, confirming her thoughts.

"Wait, Naruto's going to be leaving?" Sakura asked. It fills her with warmth, specially when Sasuke glares at Kakashi in agreement. "We're never gonna be productive without Naruto here to do your job for you in the mornings!"

"Maa, you're hurting your dear old sensei's feelings," Kakashi said, a hand to his chest like the melodramatic asshole that he is. "Don't worry though. You'll be off joining Tsunade-sama at the hospital starting tomorrow. She agreed to take you on as a full time apprentice. Something about being the first person she met with the chakra control needed to master her fighting style." Kakashi said it casually, but Naruto knows it's his own way of complimetning and motivating her.

Judging by her pleased smile and the hope in her eyes, it had probably worked.

"What about me then?" Sasuke asked, to which Kakashi gave an eye smile. She wonders what the man has planned for their last member.

"You'll technically be apprenticing with Obito and me. We'll be working together and doing missions together for the next three years. We'll be your best bet at mastering the sharinggan, even though we only have an eye a piece," Kakashi said, much to both Sasuke and Naruto's confusion.

"Couldn't Itachi teach him that though?" Naruto asked.

"He could but he'd be out the village for the next three years, Naruto-chan," Kakashi said and her eyes widen with understanding. "He'd be accompanying Jiraiya-sama and you."

"What about the clan?" Sasuke asked, and he's right. The Uchiha clan were just a bunch of struggling children right now, though only 4 of them have been left with fosters at this point. They were still children and Itachi had been wrangling them for most of his stay in Konoha.

"You'll have to take care of them," Kakashi said and this time his teasing smile turns soft. He lays a hand on Sasuke's hair, ruffling it and a part of Naruto still expects him to bat it away. He doesnt though, chosing to duck and frown though there's a faint spray of pink on his cheeks. "You'll have to be the one to do it now, Sasuke. You're brother wouldn't have agreed to their mission if he didn't think you were ready."

"I thought it was a training trip sensei?" Sakura asked after Kakashi let go of Sasuke.

"Not entirely. While his primary job is to keep Naruto safe, they're going to be brokering a peace treaty with Ame too," Kakashi admits, though he doesn't tell them that they'd be willingly seeking out an S-class ninja who would probably want to fight first before he would listen.

"Now, are we all clear with what we'd be doing for the next few years?"

"Yes sensei!" They chorused.

\-----------------

_**"Shouldn't you be taller, meat sack?"** _

This was not at all how Naruto expected this to go. She had expected battle. Had expected needing to befriend the fox again. Except, the fox had been asleep for as long as she can remember, when she got back. Had he gotten his memories of the future?

Only, he doesn't actually know her. There's confusion and hesitance in his eyes, like he didn't know what to make of her. There's none of the grumpy, long-suffering fondness she had come to associate with him.

"How?" It's all she asks. She will have to adjust her plan of attack depending on what he knows and what he remembers.

 _ **"I could have sworn you were taller. But it wasn't right either. I could have sworn the world was breaking too, but I couldn't be sure,"**_ His voice is still guttural, even as he lays back down on his paws. Rough with disuse. He kept staring at Naruto like she was something that didn't make sense. _**"I remember you talking to me too. I remember giving you my name. Except, I don't remember doing that either."**_

He rose from where he's laid down at the front of the cage, tall enough that shadows obscure his face and all that's left are his glowing red eyes. _**"Who are you brat? What had you done to me?**_

"We had met, in a different day and a different time. You aren't supposed to give me your name. At least not yet. Not until much later when Uchiha Madara rises again and threatens to rip you out from my body and join you with your siblings to create the ten tails." She watched him snarl at the mention of Madara, and glower when she tells him what fate had in store for them, once upon a time. "You introduced me to your sibllings you know? I met Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei and Gyuki."

He looks at her with amazement, moving close to the bars again, paying attention. She knows why. He has never introduced anyone to his siblings before, after all. Has never given their names.

"Octopops taught me how to find you first, dattebayo," she said and she saw his lips twitch into a grin at the name. "Then we faught, and I asked to be your friend, and you gave me something special. Something worth more than your strength, or your chakra. You gave me your name."

 _ **"Say it,"**_ he said like it was a dare. A demand of proof even when she knows he believes.

"Kurama," she said, calling him out. "Let's be friends again, Kurama."

\---------------

They figured out how to work around Kurama being a possessive little thing and not allowing any of the toad sages to merge with her. Apparently, Kurama could gather the sage chakra for her instead.

It wasn't something she ever thought off. Probably because they hadn't been friends the first time around when she attempted senjutsu, and he had never volunteered the information after. Apparently he wasn't even sure if he could do it, but seeing as he was one of the sage's first chakra creations, it made sense that he could.

It meant having to adjust to the chakra again though. And meant getting whacked by a stick again and again as they tried it. Apparently it didn't make her turn into a frog. She started turning into a fox instead.

 _ **"The first fox sage,"**_ Kurama had dubbed her affectionately when they finally succeeded. She had perfect sage mode again, though red spilled around her eyes and up her cheeks to her cheek bones. Her eyes were golden and slitted like a fox, and those had been the only proof of her entering sage mode.

With her at sage mode, and her companions as trained up as they could be, they were finally ready to head to Ame.

\------------------

Nagato hadn't been easy to convince. He hadn't been easy to defeat either. Except this time no one had died and he hadn't needed to sacrifice himself to bring the dead back.

"I have seen a world of people sleeping. A world where there was no war because no one was living. Is that really a world you want? A world of people cowering? That isn't peace!" She growled at his emaciated form when the three of them were finally facing Nagato. "We cannot live without hatred, yes. People fight for themselves and their ideals. People fight for their villages and their survival. We cannot avoid hatred, but we can learn forgiveness."

"We can set up our boundaries. We can learn to forgive past sins and look forward to a future where we are, by ourselves, strong nations. We can rebuild Ame, and look to the future," Naruto said. "We can make the world a better place, Nagato. Without pain."

"How do you know. That there would be peace?" He rasped out. "It took Madara, it took the ten tails, to unite all five nations. In a way, I was right, was I not Uzumaki Naruto?" 

"There had been no one left to appreciate the peace," Naruto said grimly. "Did that occur to you in this vision of peace? That people wouldn't just take it lying down? That we would rather die fighting, free, than live in fear and false peace."

"You're right, Nagato. People are too prone to hate. But, we also have this remarkable capability for growth that can only be brought about by pain. People would benefit more from being taught. We could lead them towards something better, and we have the power to end wars before they even start."

"And when we're gone, Naruto?" Pein asked. "What then?"

"We'll have to have faith on those we've taught," she answered with an easy smile. "It's time for you to stop holding Ame in fear, cousin, and start teaching them how to live."

\------

They had spent their last year away from Konoha in Ame. They had cleared Danzo's past machinations and apologized in behalf of Konoha for the past war. They talked about their villages' plans for the future. They had talked about alliances and the defense of Ame. They talked about Nagato, and not Pein, rising up and taking the mantle of Amekage. And lastly, they talked about opening the village up again, allowing foreign trade and even agreeing to host chunnin exams.

It was time for Ame to stop hiding from it's sibling nations. To stop wallowing as a remnant of war and to go forward as a hidden village of it's own name and right.

\-----------

"Ne, Itachi, why don't you ever call me by my name?" Naruto was pouting at him, he realized. While she has always insisted of it, she has never actually bothered asking him why.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Namikaze-sama," he responds just to be annoying, smiling benignly at the glare she throws over her shoulder even as they keep walking.

He doesn't even know where they're going. He just happened to pass by Pein's tower, the new Kage building, at the same time she was leaving. She had taken one look at him before lighting up in glee. She then proceeded to loop her arm around his and drag him off to who knows where.

She had probably been in another one of their many meetings discussing the smaller details of what else needed to be done that everyone _just needed_ her opinion in. Naruto's usual, sunny, charismatic self had quickly won over most of the people in Ame, including her sullen cousin who embodied Rain a little too well. She had been roped into almost every meeting ever since they arrived, people asking for her input in opinion in just about everything when it became clear that she had a good head on her shoulders and a fair sense of justice.

That she had started this revolution for a better Ame did wonders to endear her to the tired people too. Itachi had certainly noticed how some vied for her attention a little too much.

She abruptly stopped walking, and had Itachi been any less trained, he would have stumbled. As it was, he came to a stop beside her and turned curious eyes on her. He wondered if he'd finally upset her, but she just tugs at his arm and pulls him into a building. 

It was apparently where they were heading. He is hit with the heavy scent of broth and salt and grease, enough to know exactly where Naruto brought them.

"It's not exactly Ichiraku but," she trails off, pulling him to the counter to place orders before they settle into one of the booths together.

"Don't think I've forgotter, dattebayo!" She practically growls when they settle into seats facing each other, her verbal tick giving away her irritation. It rarely comes out nowadays, just mixing into her words when she's rather emotional. Apparently he has annoyed her enough about his continuous refusal to call her by her name.

He doesn't even know how it happened, just that it had. At first he had simply called her Hokage-sama, because she was and he wished to acknowlede it. After that, he had gleefully called her by her last name because well, he would never admit it but he enjoyed the looks of shock the people around them would get. He enjoyed being the one to uncan that particular secret, specially considering what he knew of her childhood. 

And now, years later, it has simply become habit. It wasn't because he was maintaining distance. He could have easily denied this mission after all. Could have asked Kakashi to do it instead. He genuinely liked spending time with the little spitfire his brother had loved.

Maybe a huge part of why he kept calling her by her last name, even when her identity had no longer been a secret, was because he enjoyed how much it annoyed her. Her expression reminded him a bit of younger Sasuke when he would poke him in the forehead, after all.

"It's Naruto, Dattebayo! Na-Ru-To!" she growled again and Itachi thought maybe it's time to give in before she poped an artery. Or murdered him. Possibly both.

"Na-ru-to," he obliged, repeating after her deliberately. He had meant for it to be mocking, but it comes out differently.

She flushes red and he blinks, fighting down the urge to do so as well. He hadn't meant for it to sound the way it did. The other Sasuke would probably kill him if he heard Itachi right now.

She opened her mouth, maybe to ask a question or diffuse the situation, but before she could ay anything their ramen comes. Itachi couldn't be happier for the distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be uploaded much earlier but... My laptop gave up on me again and I had to rewrite this on my phone, off of my flimsy, short attention spanned memory.
> 
> So yeah, kinda sorry if it feels a little off. >~<  
> We're nearing the end now. Just one more chapter and we're done!
> 
> So yeah, hint of ItaNaru on this one. ^~^ Maybe. Kinda.


	10. Looking Forward

Naruto was still thinking of what had happened, several days later. It was instinctive at this point, jumping from tree to tree, and the journey home was quiet enough that it allowed her mind to start wandering.

She hadn't even entertained the notion of dating before. In her past life, she had obsessed over chasing Sasuke, and later, with fighting a war. She had been self aware enough to know that after some time of chasing after their errant teammate, her feelings had shifted past friendship. It was to be expected.

They never got to explore that though, too busy fighting and clashing at first and later on, trying to stay alive. They never had the opportunity to be more than what they were, aside from that first-last kiss Sasuke gave her before he sacrificed himself to send them back.

And then they were back. She was in the body of a child for so long, and had been so focused on fixing the world that the idea of dating was pushed to the back of her mind. Specially so when she had spent years grieving Sasuke. It wasn't even until the chunin exams that she had found herself okay with his loss for the first time. Saddened sure, hurt definitely, but she had accepted it.

Then afterwards, well, there was little appeal to dating anyone here that she knew before. Specially from her limited pool of friends whom she had all been close to in her past life. Not only would she end up expecting them to be the same people or comparing them to the comrades she left behind, they were also children. While they were a match to her physical age, they were nowhere near her mental age, and she hadn't wanted to date someone twice her age just to feel companionship.

Specially when she would need to keep so much of her life a secret.

She had resigned herself to being alone and watching her friends end up together around her. And then this happened.

There was interest in Itachi's eyes. He might not have meant to, might have just been repeating what she said, but there was interest in his eyes. His embarassment after what further proof of it.

If there was anyone in this world who could understand her, who could keep up with her, it would probably be him.

\-----------------

"You're back," Sasuke was waiting for them at the gates, leaning against the wall casually as if his presence was merely coincidental.

"I see the Konoha's still standing," she said by way of greeting, hugging him tightly when he smiled at her. He had grown up. He'd gotten broader, definitely taller. He looked almost exactly like the Sasuke she remembered, except lighter. He was happier, and it was made more apparent when he hugged her back.

"None of the kids had burnt it down yet," he said though he looks at his brother when he said this. He's talking about his cousins, she concluded, which Itachi answers with soft smile and a nod.

Naruto pulled away when Itachi approached them, poking Sasuke in the forhead by way of greeting. There is something like guilt in his eyes, and it's made more obvious when his eyes minutely shift to steal a look at her.

_Oh._

"Sensei and Obito-nii had been dancing around each other. Talk some sense to them," he practically orders Naruto and it makes her laugh because of course they would. She had already seen the pigtail pulling before they left, had expected them to sort themselves out but apparently, she'll need to intervene after all.

"I'll do something about it," Naruto agreed, grinning. She may not be pulling village wide pranks anymore, but she still wouldn't say no to a little mischief. And probably some counselling for her emotionally stunted sensei who still hadn't grasped how to human well enough. "We'll have to report to baa-chan first though."

And wasn't that upsetting. They hadn't been there for Tsunade's coronation as godaime, probably because they were battling with Pein when it happened. It wasn't till a week later when they received message of it. It seemed like the third had decided to retire, handing the hat over to Tsunade so he could spend the rest of his life in well deserved rest.

When they made it to the kage tower, Tsunade was neck deep in papers with Shizune welcoming them in. "Brat, hurry up and take this goddamned hat from me," Tsunade grumbled when she finally saw them. It made Naruto grin brightly, being acknowledged like that. She wondered how much of it is personal sentiment on Tsunade's part and how much of it is actually her village standing and the probability of being named Kage.

"Maybe in a few years, baa-chan," she agreed, dodging the paperweight she lobs at her head with ease.

"Alright brats, report," she said after setting down her pen, giving them her full attention.

\---------------------

"A little birdy told me that you've been ignoring your feelings." Kakashi glared at Naruto from where he's sitting in front of the memorial stone.

"Was this little birdy a parrot perhaps?" he asked mildly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders when she settles beside him, looking at the stone too. "A cockatoo? Maybe a duck?" 

"Hey mom and dad," Naruto said and Kakashi's eyes softened. "We did it, dattebayo! We saved the world, before it needed saving. We protected everyone we could." He listened to her chatter on for a while, telling her parents all of her adventures for the past year and there's warmth in his chest that probably isn't heart burn.

Naruto had grown up well. She stood with a calm, confidence now. A quiet sort of assurance that she _can_ , coupled with an unending capability to hope and forgive. To keep reaching for tomorrow. Her parents would be so proud of her.

"Ne Kakashi-sensei, don't you think it's time for us to be happy?" The question seems innocent enough, but theres a sad sort of smile on her face that makes him feel like he can't swallow. "We've done our part haven't we? We'll keep protecting this world too but, don't you think we have the right to start thinking about ourselves now too?"

He cannot respond, especially knowing what exactly she's hinting at. He gets what she's trying to say but _how could he?_ He had practically destroyed Obito's life. Had killed the one person he had loved. He had murdered Rin, who Obito loved enough to swear to destroy the world for. Who was he in the face of that?

"Was this why you called me here?" Kakashi feels his body sieze when someone else beats him to the response he was preparing to give. He very carefully doesn't turn even when he hears Obito's vocie behind them. He also very carefully doesn't tense up, when he feels Obito approach and stand by Naruto's other side.

"I could seal off both your chakra and lock you in a room," Naruto offers, making them both glare at her. The little brat just giggles though, turning to look back at the memorial stone.

"I think we owe it to the people who had fought to keep us here, to be happy." She said after a while. "To try and be happy, even if it's just a chance. A sliver. A possibility."

The weight is still there in his chest, still makes it hard to swallow, but Kakashi turns to look at Obito who looks at him with the other half of their eyes. There is something there, he realized, now that he isn't entirely focused on avoidance. There's a tentative, hopeful spark of something there, and he wonders if Naruto may be on to something.

\-----------------

There was a heaviness in Itachi's chest when he stepped back home. There's none of the relief of finally setting foot back in his house after a particularly long mission. Instead it feels too quiet. There's none of Jiraiya's boisterous chatter. Of Naruto's bubbliness and energy. It's just him, alone in a quiet house that he hasn't been in for years.

"Okaeri, Aniki," Sasuke greets him quietly, coming down the stairs in time to greet him. Once again he marvels at how well Sasuke had grown. How different his strength was this time around. He was steadfast and solid, nurtured with love and guidance. Much different from the sharp and fragile Sasuke of before, angry and weary, moments away from crumbling. 

"Tadaima," he responds quietly. It's still a novel experience. Having a home to return to. Having family to come home to. 

But as much as he knows Sasuke, it seems Sasuke knows him just as well too.

Itachi wondered if he's getting rusty. The unease must have been clear on his face. Must have been obvious enough for his little brother to pick up on, because Sasuke immediately frowns. 

Sasuke who grew up without the weight of their clan's traditions and the burden of his vengance, was very expressive. He smiled and laughed and exploded with anger. Itachi had seen him shake with grief and cry. It was such a contrast to Itachi's own thoughtful quiet that it made him want to protect his little brother's spirit even more.

And here he was, betraying said brother. Not this Sasuke in particular, maybe, but the Sasuke of their time at least. Itachi knew his brother loved Naruto. It was there in every exchange and interaction they had that Itachi got the opportunity to observe.

The simple fact that Sasuke's first thoughts given Itachi's instructions of how to get the Mangekyou was killing Naruto, was proof enough. And now here he was, thinking about the blush on her cheeks and how she looked when she was frowning.

"What is it?" Sasuke, this Sasuke, interupts his thoughts. He had been distracted enough that he had failed to notice Sasuke making tea.

"If you were to die for someone you loved Sasuke, how would you want them to remember you?" The words were tumbling out of his lips before he even has a chance to rethink them. Emotions were, apparently, exhausting and he really wants to just stop dealing with these if possible.

"Are you going to?" Sasuke asked suspiciously, immeadiately abandoning his pot of water and moving close enough to put a hand against Itachi's forehead.

How adorable. He had forgotten how worried his brother had been of losing him, when Sasuke was younger. Apparently some of that still carried over and despite himself, he laughs quietly.

"Don't laugh at me, it's a legitimate question!" Sasuke growls, crossing his arms. "But to answer, well, I would want them to be happy. No matter what. I won't be there anymore, so I wouldn't be able to make sure of it, but if I loved them enough to die for them then I would wan't them to be happy."

"Awww how cute." Itachi must really be losing his edge if he hadn't sensed the brightly burning ball of chakra that was sitting at their window sill. He's gotten so used to being around her that she doesn't even register to his senses anymore and it irks him. Not to mention how easily she'd be able to understand what he's asking about. He figths a blush even as they turn to look at their unexpected guest.

"What brings you over, Naruto?" He asked, using her name again. He watches her cheeks flush, no doubt remembering their earlier interaction in Ame, and Sasuke no doubt sees something about it because he quickly glances suspiciously between the two of them. The woe of being in a family of people trained to be observant.

"I'm supposed to tell Sasuke we're meeting at the bridge tomorrow at 10," she said, turning to smile at his brother who was still looking at the two of them in suspicion.

"Alright," Sasuke nods. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Namikaze-sama?" And, now he's mocking them. Passively making fun of them and pointing out the change of address, probably having caught on to the fact that him calling Naruto by her name was what made her blush.

They all know he's making fun of them. It does nothing to stop the bloom of color on his pale cheeks. Or Naruto's face going redder.

\-------------

Naruto looks at the jounin vest in front of her blankly. It was something Tsunade wanted to chuck at her when they got home but she had gotten too caught up with paper work and forgot to prepare before hand. She has never made jounin before. Has technically never made it past gennin. It feels like such an accomplishment, which doesn't make sense considering she had been made kage in another life.

"I'm proud of you," Tsunade said and it breaks her out of the shock. It makes her smile at the slug sannin, tears building up in her eyes.

She was being acknowledged.

When she appears into team meeting later with a jounin vest matching every other member of the team, she is still in something of a daze. "Alright, our first mission together as Team Seven is... a bell test." He gives them his patented eye smile, holding up two bells that make Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke look at each other with bright smiles.

She had just made jounin. They had saved their world. She had fought every step to be here, and she's still here. Stronger, brighter. All that's left is protecting this future.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand we're done! I can't thank all of you guys enough for going through these ten fast paced chapters with me. I'm genuinely grateful for all the comments, both supportive and constructive. Thank you so so much.
> 
> As thanks, well I made art. It's kinda sloppy, so I'm really sorry but my laptop's still busted and I drew that on my phone's itty-bitty screen with my itty-bitty fingers.
> 
> Anyways, this is it. Thank you.


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